allude

allude or elude? Do not confuse the spelling of allude and elude, which sound similar. Allude is usually followed by to, as in alluding to the disappearance of her husband. Elude means "escape from," "avoid," or "be beyond": He eluded his pursuers. Her name eludes me.

The sentence She alluded to her husband by name is a self-contradiction, because allude means "to mention indirectly." When the reference is direct, the word to use is refer. So if she mentioned "the man at home looking after the children," she was alluding to her husband, whereas if she mentioned "George" or "my husband" directly, she was referring to him: She referred to her husband frequently.