as in to imply
formal, of a word
to make you think about (something) in addition to the word's meaning
The word "childlike" connotes innocence. For her, the word "family" connotes love and comfort.
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Recent Examples of connote
Lerner gets plentiful mileage out of his novel’s title, which also connotes the transmission of culture (thought or speech to writing, sound to vinyl) or part of the process whereby DNA replicates.
—
Hannah Gold, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
At its core, reading a physical book, particularly a novel, connotes more than just taste, intellect, or even a desire to pass your time in a more productive way than doomscrolling.
—Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 9 Mar. 2026
Sometimes spliced into proceedings by editors Dávid Jancsó and Ilka Janka Nagy with blink-like brevity, these flashbacks seemingly connote the intrusive thoughts and blackouts of an addled, recuperating mind.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 16 Feb. 2026
By the end, Veloso brought in a Steadicam to connote that Robert has found more peace in his later years.
—Emily Zemler, Los Angeles Times, 16 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for connote
Hannah Gold, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
At its core, reading a physical book, particularly a novel, connotes more than just taste, intellect, or even a desire to pass your time in a more productive way than doomscrolling.
—Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 9 Mar. 2026
Sometimes spliced into proceedings by editors Dávid Jancsó and Ilka Janka Nagy with blink-like brevity, these flashbacks seemingly connote the intrusive thoughts and blackouts of an addled, recuperating mind.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 16 Feb. 2026
By the end, Veloso brought in a Steadicam to connote that Robert has found more peace in his later years.
—Emily Zemler, Los Angeles Times, 16 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for connote
Recent Examples of Synonyms for connote
Verb
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But that quote implies the chaos always works in the opposite direction to the plan.—
Michael Cox,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
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As the title implies, things don’t go well.—
Denise Petski,
Deadline,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
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But our understanding of pedantry, denoting the sticklerishness of academic specialists and grammar obsessives, is a relatively narrow one.—
Clare Bucknell,
The New York Review of Books,
25 Apr. 2026
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Line thickness here represents the pass volume between players, while the shading indicates pass quality, with red lines denoting passive passes, green ones more threatening ones.—
Conor O'Neill,
New York Times,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The follow-up session resulted in commitment to the concept of the United Nations, which, moving forward, signified the Allies’ goals in World War II.—
Arthur I. Cyr,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Apr. 2026
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These walls signify what that sacrifice has meant across nearly two centuries.—
Thomas Tracy,
New York Daily News,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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That means ballots are set and in some states early and absentee voting has already begun.—
Nicholas Riccardi,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Apr. 2026
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British monarchs are subject to rules and norms meant to prevent them from taking overtly political stands.—
Emma Caughlan,
NBC news,
30 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Connote.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/connote. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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