as in referring
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Recent Examples of allusive
Their plots were complex, nested, allusive, the sort of TV that demanded activity and attention rather than passivity.
—
Phillip MacIak, The New Republic, 24 Aug. 2023
Style often allowed a filmmaker to set a mood in an allusive way.
—Hazlitt, 9 Aug. 2023
Aside from the text on that bottle, O’Brien’s work is allusive and indirect.
—Mark Jenkins, Washington Post, 21 July 2023
But by choosing literalness over ambiguity, ‘The Boogeyman’ doesn’t quite stick the landing like that richly allusive 2014 Australian film did.
—Sonaiya Kelley, Los Angeles Times, 2 June 2023
See all Example Sentences for allusive 
Phillip MacIak, The New Republic, 24 Aug. 2023
Style often allowed a filmmaker to set a mood in an allusive way.
—Hazlitt, 9 Aug. 2023
Aside from the text on that bottle, O’Brien’s work is allusive and indirect.
—Mark Jenkins, Washington Post, 21 July 2023
But by choosing literalness over ambiguity, ‘The Boogeyman’ doesn’t quite stick the landing like that richly allusive 2014 Australian film did.
—Sonaiya Kelley, Los Angeles Times, 2 June 2023
See all Example Sentences for allusive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for allusive
Adjective
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Both teams went deep into their benches to get the final 12 minutes over with, and the Thunder’s reserves frankly missed so many shots that the final score was not indicative of just how lopsided the game was.—
Joe Vardon,
The Athletic,
16 Jan. 2025
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Weekly comparisons for mortgage applications last week are outsized due to the holidays and not indicative of the state of the market.—
Diana Olick,
CNBC,
15 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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The systems failed to work altogether with the reflective stripes added to either the black or white alternatives.—
Jim Gorzelany,
Forbes,
20 Jan. 2025
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Underwood recently wore a two-piece metallic gown from Rafik Zaki with a reflective silver bodice and a high-low silver skirt for the Songwriters Hall of Fame Induction and Awards Gala 2024.—
Ada Tseng,
WWD,
20 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Semantic bleaching is another linguistic process whereby the denotative content of a word is stripped away.—
Brandon Tensley,
CNN,
10 July 2022
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The paragon of such an attempt is something like Jia Tolentino’s Trick Mirror, a work that stands as a denotative record of the social media shift, yet still falls to the same difficulties that characterize other cultural criticism of this type.—
SPIN,
SPIN,
8 Feb. 2022
Adjective
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Unfortunately, Erskine already is on shaky ground with Viscount David Brooke (a subtly expressive Mark Strong), who has recently replaced his deceased father as editor of The London Chronicle, and doesn’t share his high regard for Erskine’s flamethrower prose.—
Joe Leydon,
Variety,
13 Jan. 2025
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Bud is a schnauzer mix with deep, expressive eyes; beige snoot and leg stockings; and a white chest, with the rest of his fur a charcoal black.—
TJ Macias,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
9 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Jefferson’s thinking and behavior is characteristic of U.S. slaveholders prior to the Civil War.—
Monti Datta,
The Conversation,
9 Jan. 2025
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Featuring a swirl of pastels, the piece was characteristic of the artist, who is known for colorful, frenetic works that appear abstract but reveal distinct and often explicit figures, when observed closely.—
Maggie Lange,
New York Times,
9 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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But the struggles are perhaps symptomatic of another problem.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
1 Jan. 2025
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The state’s news release noted that the child had attended a day care while symptomatic.—
Susanne Rust,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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Harfouch noted the symbolic weight of playing in the Vatican, a place representing more than 2.2 billion Christians worldwide.—
Chris Gallagher,
USA TODAY,
10 Jan. 2025
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The collection features a range of symbolic designs that blend tradition with modernity, highlighting Swarovski’s craftsmanship and creativity.—
Ty Gaskins,
WWD,
10 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near allusive
Cite this Entry
“Allusive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/allusive. Accessed 23 Jan. 2025.
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