Identify the word closest in meaning to the underlined word:-
What are you trying to insinuate through this message?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → Allude
To insinuate is to suggest something, usually unpleasant, in an indirect way, without saying it openly. "What are you trying to insinuate?" asks what hidden meaning lies behind the message. Its synonym is allude.
Example: Are you insinuating that I took the money?
| Word | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| (1) Express | to show or state a thought or feeling openly (insinuating is the opposite of saying it openly) | She expressed her thanks to the doctors. |
| (2) Affirm | to state something firmly and publicly as true, not to hint at it | The minister affirmed his support for the plan. |
| (3) Allude (answer) | to refer to something indirectly, to hint at it without naming it plainly (both words mean suggesting something indirectly) | In his speech he alluded to his rival's failures. |
| (4) Propagate | to spread an idea or belief widely (it says nothing about hinting) | The group used pamphlets to propagate its views. |
| Also asked in CUET (UG): allude – 14-05-2026 Slot 1 propagate – 24-05-2025 Slot 1 |