as in indicating
to convey an idea indirectly
kept hinting that she wouldn't mind an invitation to spend the weekend at their beach house
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Recent Examples of hinting
Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone, 17 Oct. 2025
The actor recently spoke with the Midland Reporter-Telegram about season 4, hinting that the new episodes find Manny at a crossroads in the wake of Vince's tragic death.
—Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 17 Oct. 2025
At the end of September, Jason admitted on another episode of their podcast that the brothers' mom, Donna Kelce, has been subtly hinting for more grandkids while talking with Coach Deion Sanders.
—Hannah Sacks, PEOPLE, 14 Oct. 2025
But aside from hinting that there might be more gigs in the future, the reliably inscrutable singer did not fall for the bait of follow-up questions and left it at that.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 9 Oct. 2025
All three new objects sit in clusters weighing about 100 trillion Suns, hinting that black hole jets colliding with dense cosmic environments may be central to their formation.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 2 Oct. 2025
As if hinting toward the most logical endpoint of the premise, the script occasionally flirts with outright nihilism.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 29 Sep. 2025
From there, Towanda pressed Tamar about not wanting to film with the group, a question Tamar brushed off, hinting that her sisters already knew the reason why.
—Amber Corrine, VIBE.com, 26 Sep. 2025
Since then, Swift has been dropping special editions of her album cover, the art heavily hinting to what the album is going to sound like.
—Gina Vaynshteyn, StyleCaster, 26 Sep. 2025
Adjective
Announcing two more shows — and, judging by their tone, hinting that this could be the end of the group.
—Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone, 17 Oct. 2025
The actor recently spoke with the Midland Reporter-Telegram about season 4, hinting that the new episodes find Manny at a crossroads in the wake of Vince's tragic death.
—Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 17 Oct. 2025
At the end of September, Jason admitted on another episode of their podcast that the brothers' mom, Donna Kelce, has been subtly hinting for more grandkids while talking with Coach Deion Sanders.
—Hannah Sacks, PEOPLE, 14 Oct. 2025
But aside from hinting that there might be more gigs in the future, the reliably inscrutable singer did not fall for the bait of follow-up questions and left it at that.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 9 Oct. 2025
All three new objects sit in clusters weighing about 100 trillion Suns, hinting that black hole jets colliding with dense cosmic environments may be central to their formation.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 2 Oct. 2025
As if hinting toward the most logical endpoint of the premise, the script occasionally flirts with outright nihilism.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 29 Sep. 2025
From there, Towanda pressed Tamar about not wanting to film with the group, a question Tamar brushed off, hinting that her sisters already knew the reason why.
—Amber Corrine, VIBE.com, 26 Sep. 2025
Since then, Swift has been dropping special editions of her album cover, the art heavily hinting to what the album is going to sound like.
—Gina Vaynshteyn, StyleCaster, 26 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hinting
Verb
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The bank upgraded BioAge to buy from neutral on Wednesday, doubling its 12-month price target on the stock to $10 from $5, implying 89% upside from Tuesday’s close.—
Liz Napolitano,
CNBC,
22 Oct. 2025
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Asked whether he had been approached about reconstruction efforts in Gaza, Alabbar said no, and that Emaar would not be interested, implying that Israel should be responsible for rebuilding the territory, to applause from the audience.—
Kelsey Warner,
semafor.com,
22 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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This period also saw Husain exploring female forms, including images of Hindu goddesses like Durga and Lakshmi, sometimes in suggestive or erotic poses.—
Oscar Holland,
CNN Money,
24 Oct. 2025
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Even more suggestive of charter value, Rick Ware and Legacy Motor Club have battled in court over the sale of a charter for $45 million.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The quarterback held his arm gingerly against his body, indicating a potential collarbone or shoulder injury.—
Kirk Kenney,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Oct. 2025
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In the three-way race that followed, Cuomo’s support climbed to 33 percent, indicating that many of Adams’ former voters migrated to him—while Mamdani’s overall numbers held steady.—
Martha McHardy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Rather than viewing the insinuating and undeniably creepy Gacy as an inherent threat, Macmanus finds the tragedy in the disparate and desperate circumstances amid which Gacy might have represented an illusion of hope.—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
15 Oct. 2025
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In the process, the day-to-day nightmare of Dana’s new reality gets lost, even if the more insinuating discomfort of her present-day reality has been enhanced.—
Daniel Fienberg,
The Hollywood Reporter,
8 Dec. 2022
Verb
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However, officials earlier this year canceled a round of foreign-service applications and exams, suggesting there may have been a buildup of demand.—
Shelby Talcott,
semafor.com,
22 Oct. 2025
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While the Argentine peso initially rose following Bessent’s announcement, the currency set a fresh low earlier this week, suggesting more work could be needed to stabilize it.—
Elisabeth Buchwald,
CNN Money,
22 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Barclays Plc is returning to Saudi Arabia after an 11-year absence, marking both a strategic expansion for the British lender and a symbolic validation of Riyadh’s growing status as the Middle East’s corporate command hub.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
27 Oct. 2025
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This confirms that the Scythian animal style first developed in the east, later expanding its iconography and symbolic significance to include deer, griffins, boars, and more.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
26 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The resulting image depicts a loose choreography—several children hold their ringed arms in front of them, fingertips touching—but the over-all impression is one of gleeful, expressive chaos.—
Rachel Monroe,
New Yorker,
25 Oct. 2025
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It was thought that the simple last scene of Tom readying Ethan’s bedroom and giving the always subtly expressive Ruffalo a moment of quiet introspection would do the trick.—
Chris O'Falt,
IndieWire,
23 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hinting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hinting. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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