refer

v.

1. To concern

   regard, relate, have relation, have to do with, apply, be about, answer to, involve, connect, be a matter of, have a bearing on, correspond with, bear upon, comprise, include, belong, pertain, have reference, take in, cover, appertain, point, hold, encompass, incorporate, touch, deal with; see also concern 1.

2. To mention

   allude to, bring up, direct a remark, make reference to, make an allusion to, advert, ascribe, direct attention to, call attention to, attribute, cite, quote, hint at, point out, point to, note, notice, indicate, speak about, suggest, touch on, give as an example, associate, adduce, exemplify, instance, excerpt, extract; see also mention.

3. To direct

   send to, put in touch with, transfer, relegate, commit, submit to, assign, give a recommendation to, introduce; see also designate 1, lead 1.

refer implies deliberate, direct, and open mention of something he referred in detail to their corrupt practices; allude implies indirect, often casual mention, as by a hint or a figure of speech although she used different names, she was alluding to her family