それとなしに

そ

れ

と

な

し

に

Meanings

1

adverb

indirectly; hinting at; without saying directly

usually written using kana alone

Used when conveying something in a roundabout way, without stating it explicitly. Often appears with verbs like 言う, 聞く, or 伝える.

彼かれはそれとなしに別わかれたいと言いった。
He hinted that he wanted to break up.

それ

と

なし

に

聞き

い

て

み

た

けど

、

はっきり

し

た

返へん

事じ

は

なかっ

た

。

I tried asking indirectly, but didn't get a clear answer.

Kanji

其that
無nothingness, none, ain't

Similar words

遠とお回まわしに
Both mean 'indirectly,' but 遠回しに emphasizes a roundabout, circumlocutory manner, while それとなしに focuses on hinting without explicit mention.
ほのめかす
ほのめかす is a verb meaning 'to hint at' or 'to insinuate,' whereas それとなしに is an adverb modifying how an action is done.

Etymology

From 其れ (that) + と (quotative particle) + 無しに (without). Literally 'without saying it is that,' it came to mean doing something indirectly or by hinting.