Meaning & use

insinuate

verb·Advanced

To suggest or imply something, usually negative, in an indirect or sly way.

See it in a sentence

Are you insinuating that I somehow lied about what happened?

The article insinuated that the mayor had secretly accepted bribes.

A note on using this word

Insinuate usually carries a negative or accusatory tone, unlike the neutral verb imply, and often provokes a defensive reaction.

Words with a similar meaning

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Words with an opposite meaning

Make it your own

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