hinted
Gave subtle clues
Hinted is the past tense of hint—to suggest something indirectly rather than stating it outright.
She hinted that she wanted to leave early.
He hinted at problems in the marriage but wouldn't elaborate.
Hinting implies discretion or reluctance to speak plainly, whether from tact, coyness, or caution.
Suggested without stating
- suggestedOffered for consideration
- insinuatedIndirectly suggested something
- intimatedSuggested indirectly
- alludedReferenced indirectly
foreshadowed · adumbrated · veiled · oblique · cryptic · enigmatic · elliptical · euphemistic
Having fine distinctions
- understatedDeliberately minimized in expression
- faintWeak and indistinct
- gentleSoft and kind
- delicateEasily broken or harmed
soft · slight · barely · scarcely · quietly · discreetly · tactfully · diplomatically
implied
Suggested without stating
- suggestedOffered for consideration
- insinuatedIndirectly suggested something
- intimatedSuggested indirectly
alluded · foreshadowed · adumbrated · veiled · oblique · cryptic · enigmatic · elliptical · euphemistic · figurative
nuanced
Having fine distinctions
- understatedDeliberately minimized in expression
- faintWeak and indistinct
- gentleSoft and kind
delicate · soft · slight · barely · scarcely · quietly · discreetly · tactfully · diplomatically · guardedly
foreshadowed
Indicated in advance
- presagedIndicated something future
- portendedForeshadowed future events
- foretoldPredicted future events
prefigured · augured · heralded · signaled · suggested · indicated · anticipated · forecast · predicted · warned
mentioned
Briefly referred to
signaled · broached · touched · referenced · dropped · leaked · breathed · murmured · whispered · let slip
- unexpressedunspoken, unstated, unuttered, suppressed, implicit
- clarityclearness, clear, obvious, simplification, concise
- omensomens, omen, portent, portents, signs
- speech verbssaid, says, asked, answered, replied
- approximationsabout, approximately, around, roughly, almost
- unspokensilent, tacit, unsaid, unstated, wordless
hinteddeclared
Stated with authority
announced · proclaimed · spelled out · asserted · stated
- take a hintComprehend an indirect suggestion
- take the hintUnderstand an indirect suggestion
- drop a hintSuggest something indirectly
- get the hintUnderstand an indirect message
- helpful hintUseful piece of advice
- subtle hintsUnderstated suggestions or cues