refer to
phrasal verb
referred to; referring to; refers to
1
: to look at or in (something) for information
She often refers to her notes when giving a speech.
Please refer to our website for more information.
2
: to have a direct connection or relationship to (something)
The word "finch" refers to a kind of bird.
The numbers shown in the text refer to footnotes at the bottom of the page.
3
: to talk about or write about (someone or something) especially briefly : to mention (someone or something) in speech or in writing
No one referred to the incident.
Examples of refer to in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Microcaps typically refer to stocks with market capitalizations of between $50 million and $300 million, meaning the companies raised only a few million in the initial public offering.
—
Evelyn Cheng,anniek Bao, CNBC, 4 Sep. 2025
On his first day in office, the president signed an executive order directing all federal agencies to begin referring to the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America.
—Christian Datoc, The Washington Examiner, 4 Sep. 2025
The teenager is currently in custody and police said the case will be referred to the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office homicide unit for criminal charges.
—Erik S. Hanley, jsonline.com, 4 Sep. 2025
Putin was referring to a partnership treaty that the two leaders signed on June 18, 2024, during a trip by Putin to the North Korean capital, Pyongyang.
—Robert Birsel
shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for refer to
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Evelyn Cheng,anniek Bao, CNBC, 4 Sep. 2025
On his first day in office, the president signed an executive order directing all federal agencies to begin referring to the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America.
—Christian Datoc, The Washington Examiner, 4 Sep. 2025
The teenager is currently in custody and police said the case will be referred to the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office homicide unit for criminal charges.
—Erik S. Hanley, jsonline.com, 4 Sep. 2025
Putin was referring to a partnership treaty that the two leaders signed on June 18, 2024, during a trip by Putin to the North Korean capital, Pyongyang.
—Robert Birsel
shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for refer to
Cite this Entry
“Refer to.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/refer%20to. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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