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refers (to)

verb

present tense third-person singular of refer (to)
1
as in specifies
to make reference to or speak about briefly but specifically try not to refer to the recent death of her aunt

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for refers (to)
  1. specifies
  2. consults
  3. mentions
  4. notices
  5. cites
  6. indicates
  7. notes
  8. quotes
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
  • David mentions Samovar and the legendary Bar San Calisto, where elderly regulars still play cards over cheap beers while students, artists, and musicians fill the piazza outside.
    — Chiara Barzini, Vogue, 18 Sep. 2026
  • The report mentions four other cops, without their names, all four whose records were reviewed based on tips to DOI.
    — Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 15 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
  • The letter cites a recent WPLN and ProPublica investigation that found that juvenile justice facilities run by Tennessee businessman Jason Crews repeatedly failed to report abuse of children and other serious incidents to the state as required.
    — Paige Pfleger, ProPublica, 18 Sep. 2026
  • The lawsuit cites a lengthy article about Meta’s AI glasses by Swedish newspapers Svenska Dagbladet and Göteborgs-Posten.
    — Queenie Wong, Los Angeles Times, 18 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
  • Vogue notes the trend appears on jackets made of wool, leather and nylon, spanning heavier winter coats through lighter weatherproof options.
    — Lauren Schuster, Kansas City Star, 21 Sep. 2026
  • At the same time, as the Burke Museum notes, the low-lying forests of nut and beech trees the birds depended on were cleared for farmland as settlement spread west.
    — Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of notes
Verb
  • This article quotes language that may be offensive to readers.
    — Leah Asmelash, CNN Money, 18 Sep. 2026
  • That includes employee testimonials, culture videos, team stories, employee quotes on career pages, and behind-the-scenes workplace content.
    — Abigail Moncoeur, Hartford Courant, 15 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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Cite this Entry

“Refers (to).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/refers%20%28to%29. Accessed 26 Sep. 2026.

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