1
as in specifying
to make reference to or speak about briefly but specifically
try not to refer to the recent death of her aunt
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in going (to)
to use or seek out as a source of aid, relief, or advantage
she studied so she wouldn't have to refer to the book during the exam
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for referring (to)
Verb
-
The changes were initiated by the Homeland Security Department, the current official said, without specifying which cities were impacted.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
28 Oct. 2025 -
Without specifying the countries of origin, the Russian Defense Ministry said foreign fighter jets were scrambled to identify the Russian aircraft on parts of their flight, adding that the flight was in strict compliance with international airspace rules.—
Ryan Chan,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
That’s all without mentioning the fact that the Crown notched a nine-game win streak to conclude the season — tying the longest streak in the post-shootout era in MLS.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
22 Oct. 2025
-
However, the only evidence explicitly mentioning Jones in the report pertains to a pair of Facebook posts made before and after the incident.—
Amanda McCoy,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
LaRoche is the Founder, CEO, and Lead Coach of Integrity Hoops, which is a basketball training and consulting company.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
2 Nov. 2025
-
And the district announced a lawsuit this month against the consulting firm that helped hire him.—
Michael Ruiz,
FOXNews.com,
2 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Waymo touts its safety record, citing company research saying that compared to a human driver, Waymo vehicles reported a 91% reduction in serious injury crashes, 79% fewer airbag deployments and 80% fewer injury-causing collisions.—
Rob Nikolewski,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
5 Nov. 2025
-
Palantir managed to beat the estimates and offer solid guidance, citing growth in the artificial intelligence business.—
Julie Coleman,
CNBC,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Harvey brings a distinctive approach to the nuclear narrative, one shaped by childhood memories of hearing about French President Jacques Chirac and the Rainbow Warrior bombing, but noticing the absence of First Nations voices in those stories.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
4 Nov. 2025
-
Humans are inherently quite good at noticing changes in other people’s expressions.—
Matt Fuchs,
Time,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
In just a few days, a Karl Marx-quoting communist who has struggled to disavow Hamas is likely to be elected the next mayor of the nation's financial and cultural epicenter.—
MSNBC Newsweek,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Oct. 2025
-
Miranda fangirled after the concert on Instagram, quoting her.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
But Braun highlighted a successful two-pronged corporate strategy, noting the tough environment for lower-income consumers hasn’t changed – despite the growth in its high-end brands.—
David Goldman,
CNN Money,
31 Oct. 2025
-
Hall also reflected on her family’s ties to Bivens, noting the former council member was a longtime friend of her uncle, and became a source of inspiration for Hall growing up.—
Harrison Mantas,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Olsavsky indicating that spending will likely increase again in 2026.—
Dave Smith,
Fortune,
2 Nov. 2025
-
Health inspectors said mussels were missing a sticky note indicating when they should be discarded.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
31 Oct. 2025
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Cite this Entry
“Referring (to).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/referring%20%28to%29. Accessed 5 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share