drop a hint
Give a clue
To drop a hint is to say something indirectly, hoping the listener will understand without being told explicitly: She dropped a hint about wanting flowers for her birthday.
The phrase suggests deliberate but subtle communication—you're not stating what you want, but you're not hiding it either.
Someone who can't take a hint fails to pick up on these indirect signals.
- nudgeGentle push to prompt
- suggestOffer an idea indirectly
- implyIndicate without stating
- winkBrief one-eyed closure
- knowing lookExpression conveying shared understanding
gentle nudge · breadcrumb · plant a seed · intimate · clue · foreshadow · innuendo · indication · gesture · allude · let slip · cue · veiled · tip off · word to the wise · insinuation · telegraph · read between the lines
drop a hintblurt out
Utter suddenly, impulsively
spell it out · lay it on the line · speak plainly · tell it like it is · announce
drop a hintkeep secret
Not reveal information
say nothing · keep mum · withhold · conceal · keep to oneself
drop, hint, dropped, hints, hinted, dropping, hinting, dropper, droppers