REFERS (TO) Synonyms: 66 Similar and Opposite Words

refers (to)

verb

present tense third-person singular of refer (to)

as in specifies

to make reference to or speak about briefly but specifically try not to refer to the recent death of her aunt

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as in goes (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

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Recent Examples of Synonyms for refers (to)

Verb

When leadership specifies what rigor looks like upfront, teams can stop trading quality for speed.

— Nacho De Marco, Forbes.com, 23 Sep. 2026
The company specifies a Mohs hardness of 9, placing sapphire just below diamond on the Mohs scale.

— Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of specifies

Verb

InStyle consults hair experts to discover the 15 trending hair colors for fall.

— Alyssa Rotunno, InStyle, 27 Aug. 2026
Jodie Foster stars as Clarice Starling, an up-and-coming FBI agent who reluctantly consults imprisoned murderer Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins) to track down a dangerous serial killer.

— Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of consults

Verb

The second a Verizon worker mentions adding a screen protector, my blood boils.

— Joe Kinsey OutKick, FOXNews.com, 25 Sep. 2026
While there, McConaughey’s mother, Ma Mac (Holland Taylor) casually mentions there’s a chance the friends could actually be half-brothers.

— Yvonne Villarreal, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026

Definition of mentions

Verb

Another notices a client’s life changing earlier and shows up before the client thinks to reach out.

— Lital Marom, Forbes.com, 22 Sep. 2026
The graffiti multiplies until no one notices the restroom itself is falling apart, until municipal officials arrive on the scene.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 21 Sep. 2026

Definition of notices

Verb

In contrast, very little is known about how the hindbrain and spinal cord adopt different fates; the new paper cites only one reference on the topic.

— JOHN TIMMER, ArsTechnica, 23 Sep. 2026
Sussman cites one study in which women who had substantial student-loan debt were around forty per cent less likely to have kids than those who didn’t carry debt.

— Margaret Talbot, New Yorker, 21 Sep. 2026

Definition of cites

Verb

But the company’s research indicates that 60 million Americans are actively seeking more protein in their diet.

— ABC News, ABC News, 23 Sep. 2026
The hurricane center indicates environmental conditions are favorable for the remnants to become a tropical depression again, with the chances of storm formation at 70% over 48 hours and 90% over the next seven days.

— Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 23 Sep. 2026

Definition of indicates

Verb

This all sounds exhausting, but most inhabitants love it, Specht notes, especially compared with the chaos of nearby Miami.

— Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2026
Lee notes that Microsoft, for example, has taken steps to lessen its near-term accounting obligations by extending depreciation schedules.

— Allie Garfinkle, Fortune, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of notes

Verb

This article quotes language that may be offensive to readers.

— Leah Asmelash, CNN Money, 18 Sep. 2026
To better understand Lizzie and Emma’s experience, as well as that of other middle-class women at the time, Robertson quotes contemporary journalist Julian Ralph.

— Britt Hayes, Entertainment Weekly, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of quotes

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.

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refers (to)

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“Refers (to).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/refers%20%28to%29. Accessed 29 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of refers (to)

verb

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