Synonyms of insinuating

insinuating 1 of 2

adjective

in-ˈsin-yə-ˌwā-tiŋ 

as in charming

likely or intended to win one's affection

the fortune hunter's insinuating attentions were having their intended effect on the naive heiress

Synonyms & Similar Words

• charming
• ingratiating
• affecting
• adorable
• winning
• endearing
• touching
• disarming
• lovable
• likable
• servile
• winsome
• deferential
• obsequious
• effusive
• sycophantic
• flattering
• poignant
• oleaginous
• saccharine
• kowtowing
• adulatory
• sugary
• soapy
• groveling
• drooling
• unctuous
• fulsome
• slobbering
• slavering

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• alienating
• displeasing
• repulsive
• repugnant
• uningratiating
• unendearing
• arrogant
• insolent
• disaffecting
• proud
• haughty
• disdainful
• scornful

insinuating

2 of 2

verb

present participle of insinuate

1

as in infiltrating

to introduce in a gradual, secret, or clever way

years were needed for the agent to insinuate himself into the terrorist organization

Synonyms & Similar Words

• infiltrating
• sneaking
• inserting
• winding
• slipping
• worming
• working in
• introducing
• wriggling
• creeping
• wiggling
• edging
• interpolating
• interposing

2

as in implying

to convey an idea indirectly

are you insinuating that I won by cheating?

Synonyms & Similar Words

• implying
• indicating
• hinting
• suggesting
• intimating
• alluding
• referring
• inferring
• mentioning
• pointing
• signaling
• signifying
• adverting
• signalizing
• smelling (of)
• smacking (of)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• announcing
• declaring
• proclaiming
• explaining
• describing
• elucidating
• spelling out
• delineating

3

as in inserting

to put among or between others

quietly insinuated herself among the concertgoers raptly listening to the piano solo

Synonyms & Similar Words

• inserting
• introducing
• injecting
• interjecting
• interpolating
• adding
• interspersing
• fitting (in or into)
• interposing
• working in
• weaving
• intercalating
• installing
• edging in
• sandwiching (in or between)
• thrusting
• shoving
• cutting in
• wedging
• attaching
• appending
• inlaying
• insetting
• larding
• interfiling
• interlining
• cramming

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• excluding
• eliminating
• extracting
• withdrawing
• deducting
• subtracting
• expelling
• rejecting
• ejecting
• detaching

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of insinuating

Adjective

Rather than viewing the insinuating and undeniably creepy Gacy as an inherent threat, Macmanus finds the tragedy in the disparate and desperate circumstances amid which Gacy might have represented an illusion of hope. — Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 15 Oct. 2025

In the process, the day-to-day nightmare of Dana’s new reality gets lost, even if the more insinuating discomfort of her present-day reality has been enhanced. — Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Dec. 2022

The complaint says that since at least early 2021, McKillips had been posting messages insinuating or explicitly threatening to harm the government or federal agents. — Marlene Lenthang, NBC News, 2 Nov. 2022

But Johnson’s pieces were intimate and insinuating, not imposing, rarely much larger than a comic book and easily overlooked. — Vince Aletti, The New Yorker, 22 July 2022

The only sparks in the evening came from countertenor Anthony Roth Costanzo (Dionysus/Dracula), who commanded attention at every appearance with his insinuating, chromatic vocal line and some spectacular costumes by Chrisi Karvonides-Dushenko. — Heidi Waleson, WSJ, 10 Aug. 2021

The Harptones had Willie Winfield, a tenor vocalist with immaculate pitch and an insinuating way with a phrase, and Raoul Cita, a gifted vocal arranger who made sure the group's voicings were always distinctive. — Richard Sandomir, New York Times, 3 Aug. 2021

Verb

Skillfully insinuating actors on the order of Tom Hollander (Treasurer Robert Hales) and Stephen Dillane (Archbishop Sudbury) add some spice to the film’s periodic seminars in court scheming and skulking. — Michael Phillips, Variety, 9 Sep. 2026

That’s how grifters such as Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White, two former NBA players insinuating themselves clumsily into the transgender sports debate, create value. — Jerry Brewer, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026

As the escape-room activity kicks off — the guests have 30 minutes to find Aesha’s crew — the boys find plenty of opportunity to make insinuating jokes about tying up the girls, some (Coop) more wholesome than others (Luke). — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 30 June 2026

One is to emphasize Iago—the guileful, insinuating convincingness of this malicious supervillain, who works on Othello to the point where any reasonable man would be deceived and fooled and worked into a rage that can lead to such a catastrophe. — David Frum, The Atlantic, 17 June 2026

Instead, the group bought ads insinuating that Villegas had been complicit in covering up abuse of minors at his local school district. — Andrew Lapin, Sun Sentinel, 15 June 2026

Twice divorced and with two children from previous relationships, Parker, a country girl from Simms, Texas, had a history of quickly insinuating herself into the lives of new friends and craved attention, especially from men, says Bright. — Kc Baker, PEOPLE, 12 June 2026

The words were insinuating, territorial, postwar code from a man to anyone not scanning as local. — Literary Hub, 3 June 2026

Almost a decade ago, a Palos Township trustee came under fire for Facebook comments insinuating that local schools were full of undocumented Middle Eastern students. — Angie Leventis Lourgos, Chicago Tribune, 3 May 2026