insinuate

American  

[in-sin-yoo-eyt] / 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

Her tales defy easy categorization—suspense shockers? ghost stories? horror sketches?—even as they insinuate themselves into our souls.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 21, 2025

"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

And bouncing on her flat heels, full of coffee and nerve and code, was Eva Seiler, Berlin’s interpretive liaison with London, soon to insinuate herself into the German-speaking underworld of Ormaie.

From "Code Name Verity" by Elizabeth Wein

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

Sibarium insinuates that Lucero has exercised undue influence over residency acceptances.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 30, 2024

"The Morning Show" insinuates that Hamm's Marks lives a tabloid-baiting life as well, but separates his material identity from his flirtation with UBA, the show's version of America's top-rated TV news network.

From Salon ● Sep. 12, 2023

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

One of their number disguises himself, and making the acquaintance of this person, insinuates himself by slow degrees—often at the cost of months of effort—into his friendship and if possible into his confidence.

From The Sword of Damocles A Story of New York Life by Green, Anna Katharine

In response, Lamola said: "We reiterate that broad-based black economic empowerment is not reverse racism as regrettably insinuated by the ambassador."

From Barron's ● Mar. 11, 2026

The best thing about “Lines of Resolution” is how powerfully it drives home that television has insinuated itself into every aspect of contemporary life.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 18, 2025

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

He ran into the pack and insinuated himself onto the younger team.

From "Darius the Great Is Not Okay" by Adib Khorram

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

Not to be outdone, Johnson responded to the poop jet video by somehow insinuating there is an elevated meaning to it.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 21, 2025

This fits in with Kennedy's long-standing history of eugenics-tinged notions that disease is a good thing, falsely claiming that it strengthens the gene pool, and insinuating that it makes survivors stronger.

From Salon ● May 27, 2025

A radio with a faulty connection played loud and rasping for a while, then suddenly quiet and insinuating.

From "A Separate Peace" by John Knowles