as in clues
a slight or indirect pointing to something (as a solution or explanation)
taking a cue from nature, scientists are developing safe and effective insecticides using insect hormones
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Recent Examples of cues
Literary Hub, 12 Jan. 2026
While the glam is vintage Tinsel Town, Carthen seems to be taking at least some of her Golden Globes style cues from Elphaba of Wicked.
—Kathleen Walsh, Glamour, 12 Jan. 2026
Even the smallest food cues can be enough to draw them in.
—Katie Cloyd, Martha Stewart, 10 Jan. 2026
The new cookie, called Exploremores, takes cues from Rocky Road ice cream, combining chocolate, marshmallow and toasted almond crème in a sandwich cookie.
—Alexis Simmerman, Austin American Statesman, 8 Jan. 2026
Eager to test whether the dogs were also using social cues to learn new object labels, like infants do, the researchers carried out a third experiment with eight dogs, four of which were among the original 10.
—Amarachi Orie, CNN Money, 8 Jan. 2026
In terms of what’s to come for the 2026 awards season, Walsh thinks the industry is also taking cues from the feel-good factor that’s defined her process.
—James Manso, Footwear News, 8 Jan. 2026
The device itself uses a button array designed for rapid input, with low-latency LEDs for clear visual cues in play and an adaptive difficulty system that adjusts challenges based on performance.
—New Atlas, 8 Jan. 2026
As a result, the rats learned more quickly, picked up reward cues faster and were more responsive to positive feedback.
—Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 7 Jan. 2026
Noun
And at the Rolling Stones free concert outside San Francisco, the Hells Angels beat dozens of audience members with weighted pool cues before stabbing and beating one of them to death.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for cues
aligns
Verb
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The company works closely with mental health professionals to ensure its technology aligns with clinical practice rather than replacing it.—
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The stance aligns with China’s own sensitivities over sovereignty and separatism.—
Cite this Entry
“Cues.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cues. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
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