suggest may stress putting into the mind by association of ideas, awakening of a desire, or initiating a train of thought.
a film title that suggests its subject matter
imply is close to suggest but may indicate a more definite or logical relation of the unexpressed idea to the expressed.
measures implying that bankruptcy was imminent
hint implies the use of slight or remote suggestion with a minimum of overt statement.
hinted that she might get the job
intimate stresses delicacy of suggestion without connoting any lack of candor.
intimates that there is more to the situation than meets the eye
insinuate applies to the conveying of a usually unpleasant idea in a sly underhanded manner.
insinuated that there were shady dealings
Example Sentences
Noun Her face gave me a hint of what she was thinking. “I have a lot of work to do.” “OK, I'll leave. I can take a hint.” The sauce has a subtle hint of garlic. He had a hint of a German accent. They'll betray you at the first hint of trouble. Verb I keep hinting, but she's not catching on. I think I need to be more direct. The boss hinted about possible layoffs. See More
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Watch Perry hint at her plans for new music to Barrymore around the seven-minute mark below. Glenn Rowley, Billboard, 13 Sep. 2022 The hint of plum in this rich red adds warmth to a classic tone. Katie Berohn, Good Housekeeping, 13 Sep. 2022 Here’s a hint to tell the twins apart — Kylee, who played soccer goalie growing up, has a small scar over her eye from a skateboarding accident.San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Sep. 2022 There’s no hint of guitar on there (even though they’d been baked together on the master tapes). Chris Willman, Variety, 7 Sep. 2022 Arianne Phillips’ retro-chic fashion-spread costumes and Katie Byron’s swanky midcentury-modern sets (Palm Springs, California, is the direct reference) are a glossy visual feast, even if there’s a hint of Ryan Murphy-style art-directorial excess. David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 5 Sep. 2022 The palate is smooth, delicate, and finely tuned with syrupy prune, raisins, plum, raspberry, strawberry, 70% dark chocolate, peppercorn, ginger, clove, and a hint of smoke. Toby Grey, BGR, 4 Sep. 2022 Eateries are slowly opening along the alleyways, another small hint of downtown San Francisco’s fitful return. John King, San Francisco Chronicle, 4 Sep. 2022 The pork was tender and juicy, with a tasty barbecue sauce that had a hint of sweetness.San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Sep. 2022
Verb
Ryan stopped short of addressing all the Indianapolis expectations in his first regular season press conference, preferring instead to hint at his internal self-motivation.The Indianapolis Star, 7 Sep. 2022 New markets are in the cards but Sunde won’t hint at what candidates Landline has in mind. Eric Tegler, Forbes, 13 Apr. 2022 Camilo, whose full name is Camilo Echeverry, and his wife initially hint at the exciting news during the clip when the singer kissed Montaner's stomach. Vanessa Etienne, PEOPLE.com, 11 Apr. 2022 Erdogan has previously used that phrase to hint at looming military operations into Syria and Iraq against Kurdish militants that Turkey deems existential threats. Zeynep Bilginsoy, ajc, 3 Sep. 2022 The news comes from The Verge’s Tom Warren, who has an excellent track record on Windows rumors and was among the first to hint about the original launch of Windows 11. Michael Muchmore, PCMAG, 17 Aug. 2022 But the reporting this week has added two new wrinkles, both of which hint that the stuff hidden in Mar-a-Lago was even more sensitive.Wired, 13 Aug. 2022 There are also a number of warning signs to look for that might hint that someone is depressed, or even suicidal. Leah Campano, Seventeen, 4 Aug. 2022 While Apple pushed through headwinds including China and inflation to report a quarterly revenue gain and hint at an even stronger coming quarter. Andy Meek, BGR, 31 July 2022 See More
Word History
Etymology
Noun and Verb
probably alteration of obsolete hent act of seizing, from hent, verb