insinuate

American  

[in-sin-yoo-ayt] / ɪnˈsɪn juˌeɪt /

verb (used with object)

• insinuates,
  present (3rd person singular)
• insinuated,
  past participle,  past
• insinuating
  present participle

1. to suggest or hint slyly.

   He insinuated that they were lying.

2. to instill or infuse subtly or artfully, as into the mind.

   to insinuate doubts through propaganda.

   Synonyms:

   inculcate, inject, introduce

3. to bring or introduce into a position or relation by indirect or artful methods.

   to insinuate oneself into favor.

---

verb (used without object)

• insinuates,
  present (3rd person singular)
• insinuated,
  past participle,  past
• insinuating
  present participle

1. to make insinuations.

insinuate British  

/ ɪnˈsɪnjʊˌeɪt /

verb

1. (may take a clause as object) to suggest by indirect allusion, hints, innuendo, etc

2. (tr) to introduce subtly or deviously

3. (tr) to cause (someone, esp oneself) to be accepted by gradual approaches or manoeuvres

---

Synonym Usage

See hint.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• insinuator
  noun
• preinsinuate
  verb
• half-insinuated
  adjective
• insinuative
  adjective
• insinuatory
  adjective
• preinsinuative
  adjective
• uninsinuated
  adjective
• uninsinuative
  adjective
• insinuatively
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Participles

• insinuating
  present
• insinuated
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• insinuate
  simple
• insinuates
  simple
• have insinuated
  perfect
• has insinuated
  perfect
• am insinuating
  progressive
• are insinuating
  progressive
• is insinuating
  progressive
• have been insinuating
  perfect progressive
• has been insinuating
  perfect progressive

Past

• insinuated
  simple
• had insinuated
  perfect
• was insinuating
  progressive
• were insinuating
  progressive
• had been insinuating
  perfect progressive

Future

• will insinuate
  simple
• will have insinuated
  perfect
• will be insinuating
  progressive
• will have been insinuating
  perfect progressive

---

Etymology

Origin of insinuate

First recorded in 1520–30; from Latin insinuātus, past participle of insinuāre “to work in, instill.” See in- ², sinuous, -ate ¹

---

Explanation

Insinuate means you imply or suggest something that may or may not be true. If you say things seemed to go wrong about the time your brother took over, you insinuate that he had something to do with the decline. There's another way to insinuate. Suppose you're in line to get into a popular dance club when a celebrity appears, surrounded by a big entourage. If you strike up a conversation with one of the entourage, you may be able to insinuate that you're part of the group and go in with them. Don't feel bad — people have been doing it at least since the 1520s, when insinuate evolved from the Latin word insinuare, meaning "wind one's way into."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

insinuate insinuates insinuated insinuating

Cercy said that “attempting to insinuate otherwise and tear him down with a baseless, lie-filled tabloid story is not real reporting.”

From Salon ● Jul. 7, 2026

When Cady is suddenly exonerated and set free, he shows up to insinuate himself in the Bowdens’ life.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 5, 2026

The Degas’ whereabouts remained a mystery, but the case suggests that Doyle was learning how to insinuate himself in the blue-chip center of the art world, not merely on its fringes.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 11, 2026

"I absolutely would not have gone through life having this on my chest if I knew that – and to insinuate that I did is disgusting," Platner said in a statement to the BBC.

From BBC ● Oct. 22, 2025

They found the scientific establishment ridiculous and plodding, yet they knew how to insinuate themselves into it.

From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee

Cady, claiming no hard feelings, insinuates himself into their world, apparently friendly, apparently helpful, so that it’s not always clear what’s sincere and what’s strategy.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 4, 2026

She insinuates that if Evans doesn’t alter her teeth, she will be sent home.

From Salon ● Feb. 20, 2026

His press flak insinuates it’s because the senator’s name sounds like that of a nameless criminal.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 24, 2025

Harding insinuates himself into Adil’s life to get closer to Ruhaba, who seems to recognize Harding’s attraction to her while keeping him at a collegial distance.

From Washington Post ● Feb. 15, 2023

What the Author insinuates, that the Retreat was too long delayed, is without any Grounds whatsoever.

From A Journal of the Expedition to Carthagena With Notes: In Answer to a Late Pamphlet Entitled, An account of the Expedition to Carthagena by Anonymous

Herta Müller’s account of growing up in Ceaușescu’s Romania documents how the state insinuated oppression into every corner of life.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 8, 2026

"Constantly assuming new faces, it has insinuated itself into the heart of our societies, into every crack, too often accompanied by that same pact of cowardice: to keep silent, to refuse to see."

From Barron's ● Feb. 13, 2026

Nunes’ attorneys claimed that Tapper insinuated that Nunes “has a depraved mind and that he acted immorally, fraudulently, unprofessionally, spread lies about Paul Pelosi, and disparaged and defamed Paul Pelosi.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 23, 2024

Renaldo Gouws initially insinuated one of the videos was doctored and denied it but a statement issued by the DA on Thursday said it was "genuine and not a fake".

From BBC ● Jun. 20, 2024

No one showed any interest in tracking me, no one pried, no one insinuated.

From "A Separate Peace" by John Knowles

Mahnoor says he also cropped images of her with a group of friends, to make it appear that she was standing with a single man, insinuating that they were having an affair.

From BBC ● Jun. 21, 2026

She said that she finds “anyone even insinuating that might not be the case” to be “very upsetting.”

From Los Angeles Times ● May 19, 2026

Since the Epstein files release, Pozhidaeva has been contending with social-media posts and blogs insinuating she is a Russian spy.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 15, 2026

He previously noted that the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics were a “guiding star” for his retirement, insinuating that he would likely hang up his racket following the games.

From MarketWatch ● Jan. 12, 2026

Even now, she could feel the magic pulsing under her skin, each filament insinuating itself between cells, through tissues, filling up her bones.

From "The Girl Who Drank the Moon" by Kelly Barnhill

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---