to insinuate
10
7.4
- verb
- /ɪnˈsɪn.ju.eɪt/
- He managed to insinuate himself into the group by volunteering for every task.
- insinuated his way
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Watch on YouTubeThey may also try to insinuate themselves into your stuff.
- They may also try to insinuate themselves into your stuff.
- Yes, but but I'm trying to insinuate myself into their mind in in some way that they then start questioning what they're saying.
- Swelter, insinuated he insinuated himself through space.
- They use pleasures, as he says, to insinuate themselves.
Examples
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Engaging in masculine social rituals, the Bohemian woman insinuated herself into other masculine spaces as well.
Academic text (1993) -
With these, he insinuated himself into social situations that would otherwise have been closed to him.
Fiction book (1992) -
The next step, is to figure out a way to insinuate yourself into their personal life.
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My mother was trying to insinuate herself... ...between us and the statue.
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What I thought I'd do is I sort of insinuate myself generally, you know.
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Insinuate yourself into her life.
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They may also try to insinuate themselves into your stuff.
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We insinuate ourselves into her clique and then we all become best friends.
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The Americans have insinuated themselves long enough into our business.
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With great diplomatic astuteness, Pyongyang managed to insinuate itself into the American consciousness through nuclear blackmail.
Academic text (2001)
Synonyms
249
3.5
To put something inside something else
105
4.4
To go into a place or conversation where you are not welcome
23
3.4
To include something quietly so people do not notice
23
4.4
To add a small comment quietly to a conversation or text
2
4.1
Quickly add a short remark into a talk or conversation
Antonyms
How Indirect
- Informal
127
3.8
- Informal
1
8.8
10
7.4
23
4.4
∞
1.0
Surface Forms
Morphology
insinuate = sinuate (semi-transparent) = in + sinuate
The sense 'to introduce or insert oneself subtly' aligns metaphorically with 'in-' + 'sinuate' (to bend/slide in), but because 'sinuate' is an obscure base for learners the relation is not fully transparent.
Etymology
Insinuate comes from Latin parts in- 'into' and sinus 'fold' or 'curve', giving the picture of slipping into a small space. Think of someone quietly sliding into a group or the leader's inner circle without a clear invitation. So to insinuate yourself is to introduce or insert yourself into a situation in a subtle, often secret, way.