Verbs for Implying and Mentioning · Verbs: Verbal Action

to indirectly suggest something

"She dropped a hint about birthday gift."

"She dropped several hints about what she wanted for her birthday but he did not seem to notice them."

to implicitly convey something such as an idea, feeling, etc. in addition to something's basic meaning

"The word "home" connotes warmth and safety."

"The word home connotes warmth and safety while the word house simply denotes a physical building."

to indirectly state something

"He intimated that changes were coming."

"The letter seemed to intimate that the company might be closing down soon but nothing was confirmed yet."

to mention something without directly talking about it in detail

"She alludes to past problems vaguely."

"The speaker alluded to a famous historical event but did not mention it directly by name."

to briefly mention a subject in written or spoken discussion

"The lecture touched on many topics."

"The lecture touched on many important topics but did not explore any of them in great detail."

to introduce a subject for discussion, especially a sensitive or challenging matter

"He broaches the sensitive topic carefully."

"She decided to broach the difficult subject of salary with her boss during their annual performance review meeting."

to bring up a topic or question for discussion

"Let's moot this point."

"The committee decided to moot the controversial proposal at their next meeting."

to convey something without explicitly stating it

"Suggest a solution."

"Her subtle gesture seemed to suggest a possible solution to the ongoing problem."

to suggest without explicitly stating

"His silence seemed to imply guilt."

"Her silence seemed to imply that she disagreed with the decision but did not want to say so openly."

to suggest something in an indirect manner

"He insinuated that she was lying."

"During the argument he cruelly insinuated that his sister had only gotten the job because of her appearance and not her qualifications."

to give someone a message, instruction, etc. by making a sound or movement

"Use your arm to signal a turn."

"The cyclist used his arm to signal that he was going to turn left at the next intersection."

to convey something indirectly

"The evidence implicates him in the crime."

"The email seemed to implicate the senator in the bribery scandal even though he denied any wrongdoing."

to reach an understanding of something through questioning, investigation, or analysis

"What do you get at?"

"The detective patiently questioned the witness to get at the truth of the matter."

to say something about someone or something, without giving much detail

"Did he mention the meeting time?"

"The article mentioned several studies that support the claim but did not provide specific details about their methodologies."

to mention or discuss someone or something

"Refer to the book."

"Please refer to chapter three for a more detailed explanation of the theory."

to mention a particular subject

"Do not bring up that topic."

"She decided not to bring up the sensitive subject during the meeting to avoid further complications."

to use a specific statement, source, etc. as evidence or an example

"Quote this sentence."

"The lawyer will quote the relevant statute to support her argument in court."

to refer to something as an example or proof

"Cite your sources in the bibliography."

"You must cite your sources correctly in your research paper to avoid accusations of plagiarism."

to propose or assume something as true or factual, serving as the foundation for further reasoning or argumentation

"The theory posits the existence of dark matter."

"The scientist posits that there may be other intelligent life forms in the universe based on statistical probability."

to propose an idea or theory for discussion

"Can you advance a theory?"

"The scientist was prepared to advance a bold new hypothesis about the origins of the universe."