Cue cards are used primarily on television to help the actors remember their lines.
Source: tatoeba (39250)
Cue
/ˈkjuː/
Synonyms for "cue" (409 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (82)
Noun(30 words)
Verb(4 words)
Adjective(9 words)
auditory cuebehavioral indicatorbiological signalblue cuecalm focusconceptual categorycultural symbolcurrent technology promptsdigital prompts
Strong matches (123)
Noun(50 words)
discriminative stimulusdiscussion questionsdrawing promptediting cueelbowingencouragingenvironment cueevokeflag signalflagsgeesgentle nudgegesture signalinggesture to changegesture to modify seatinggesturesgongsgrammar cuehand signalshint
Show 30 more words
hint athintinghintsindicindicantindicateindicate patternindicationindicationsindicatorindicator signalindicatorsinitiatorinstruction cueinstructional commandinstructional promptintervention indicatorintimationsjogjoggingjogsjoint attention indicatorskey cluelearning cuelinguistic indicatormake a gesturemarkersmedical symptommementomemory aid
dockdolldoll carriagedollhouseevidencefantailfat partfeederflapperframeframe of mindgentle hintgesturegewgawgimcrackglimmerglimmeringgolf clubheartheavy
Show 38 more words
heroheroinehinthobbyhorsehot leadhumorimplicationindexindicationingenueinklinginnuendoinsinuationintimationjack-in-the-boxjacksjackstonesjackstrawsjoggerkeykey wordkickkickshawknickknackknotleadlead roleleading ladyleading manleading womanlibrettolineslookmarblemarionettememorandummigmind
Adjective(13 words)
dominant signalergonomic signalsevidentialexperimental signalgeological upheaval indicatorsgerman zeichengestural cuegestural cueshidden indicatorhidden markerinstructional indicatorinstructional phrasemechanical signal
Verb(2 words)
go ahead cueindicate trend
Related words (204)
monitionmoodmoralenodnotenotionnudgeofficepaper dollpartpassing wordpersonpersonagepick-up stickspiecepigtailpinwheelplaitplaybookplaything
Show 76 more words
pointerprodpromptprompterpromptingprotagonistpuppetqueueracketrag dollrattailremembranceremembrancerreminderrocking horserolescenarioscene plotscentscorescriptshooting scriptsidesignsignalsoubrettespiritspiritsspoorsportstate of mindsteeliesteerstraight partstraw in the windstubsuggestionsupporting charactersupporting rolesuspicionsymptomtailtailpiecetawteetotumtelltaletempertextticklertiptip offtip-offtitle roletonetoptopknottoytoy soldiertracetracktrinkettwistveinvestigevillainwalk onwalk-onwalking partwarningwhiffwhim whamwhim-whamwhisperwindwinkword to the wise
Determiner(1 words)
most signal
Noun(77 words)
motion description taskmotion verbmotioningnudgespause cueperceptual propertypingsplacement indicatorpointerspointingpool cuepool stickpressure cuepricesprimeprimespromptprompted imitationpromptingsprompts
Show 57 more words
quality indicatorquarterly patternquick shoveremindremindersremindingrepair cuesrisk signalsemaphoringshoutssignalsignal a warningsignal by motionsignal cuesignal dangersignal detectionsignal indicatorsignal indicatorssignal intentsignal strengthsignaled intentsignalingsignallingsignalssignals desiresignifier of meaningsignifyingsignifying cluesignpostsignpostingsignpostssocial indicatorsound triggersparksstay stillstimulantstimulistimulusstingssymptomstelltellstelltalestest reagenttheme signalingtime readertipofftriggertriggeringunearth a clueupright cuewarning signwatering cuewhistlewigwagwinkingwinks
Adjective(14 words)
nonverbal signalingobservable cueobservable signobservable signalpersuasive promptsemantic cluesspanish signostriped motif patternstrong hintsubtle hintunobservable cueverbal signalvisual cueswarning signs
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: activate, activation energy input, activation phrase, activator, actor.
- Sentence evidence is available for cue, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from opengloss, derived_reverse, moby, wordnet, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "cue".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "cue"
Keep "cue" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "cue" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "cue", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "cue" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
13 entriesactor's linecommunicationevidenceindicationinforminputsignalspeechsports implementstimulantstimulationstimuluswords
More specific
10 entriesauditory cuehand signalmemory cuemnemonic cuemnemonic promptretrieval cuetactile cueverbal cueverbal remindervisual cue
Collocations
6 entriesauditory cuecue cardmemory cueretrieval cueverbal cuevisual cue
Inflections
3 entriesDerivations
2 entriesSample sentences
19 total sentences available.
I'll take my cue from you.
Source: tatoeba (252867)
The men are smiling on cue.
Source: tatoeba (276932)
That's my cue.
Source: tatoeba (3202806)
Showing 4 of 19 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "cue"?
Closest matches include activate, activation energy input, activation phrase, activator, actor.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "cue"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.