as in informant
a person who provides information about another's wrongdoing
don't be such a tattletale and tell me about every little thing your sister does
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Recent Examples of tattletale
That kid has tattletale energy.
—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
7 Apr. 2026
People who come forward are called narcs, tattletales and snitches.
—
Eric Sondheimer,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Feb. 2026
Years later, their youngest daughter, Hannah Burch – now 24 and a mother herself – shared a viral TikTok video reflecting on the unique ways she and her siblings were raised — from rules around being a tattletale to monthly family yardwork and chore expectations.
—
Tereza Shkurtaj,
PEOPLE,
18 Oct. 2025
Unfortunately, The Croat, being a complete and total tattletale, blabbed to The Dama that Negan had hesitated.
—
Charlie Mason,
TVLine,
11 May 2025
Upsides And Downsides Are At Stake Generative AI can readily be shaped as a tattletale or snitch by an AI maker.
—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes,
14 Mar. 2025
The two of them, as though after a party, would have stood at the sink cleaning dishes and wondering which among the attendees was the traitor, the tattletale.
—
Hazlitt,
26 July 2023
We’re basically guaranteed to see that thing where one person tells Zach that another person is there for the wrong reasons, but then the tattletale winds up consumed by their own vendetta and self-sabotages.
—
Andrea Marks,
Rolling Stone,
23 Jan. 2023
One errant tweet, one mistimed joke, one honest opinion overheard by an oversensitive busybody with the shrunken soul of a schoolyard tattletale, and a person’s job can be lost and his reputation destroyed.
—
James E. Person Jr.,
National Review,
17 Sep. 2020
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
7 Apr. 2026
People who come forward are called narcs, tattletales and snitches.
—
Eric Sondheimer,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Feb. 2026
Years later, their youngest daughter, Hannah Burch – now 24 and a mother herself – shared a viral TikTok video reflecting on the unique ways she and her siblings were raised — from rules around being a tattletale to monthly family yardwork and chore expectations.
—
Tereza Shkurtaj,
PEOPLE,
18 Oct. 2025
Unfortunately, The Croat, being a complete and total tattletale, blabbed to The Dama that Negan had hesitated.
—
Charlie Mason,
TVLine,
11 May 2025
Upsides And Downsides Are At Stake Generative AI can readily be shaped as a tattletale or snitch by an AI maker.
—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes,
14 Mar. 2025
The two of them, as though after a party, would have stood at the sink cleaning dishes and wondering which among the attendees was the traitor, the tattletale.
—
Hazlitt,
26 July 2023
We’re basically guaranteed to see that thing where one person tells Zach that another person is there for the wrong reasons, but then the tattletale winds up consumed by their own vendetta and self-sabotages.
—
Andrea Marks,
Rolling Stone,
23 Jan. 2023
One errant tweet, one mistimed joke, one honest opinion overheard by an oversensitive busybody with the shrunken soul of a schoolyard tattletale, and a person’s job can be lost and his reputation destroyed.
—
James E. Person Jr.,
National Review,
17 Sep. 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tattletale
Noun
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The devices were hidden in a pack of cigarettes, the informant’s watch, and a cellphone.
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However, some members of the Hole in the Wall Gang got busted in 1981 for stealing from a home furnishings store, and Cullotta — one of those busted — became an informant.
Noun
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One of State Security’s main goals, as well as a central source of its strength, is turning civilians into informers.
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And so every regime invests in having student informers.
Noun
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The Edge and Adam Clayton both release canaries into the air in slow motion.
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Matt Schmidt, founder of Schmidt Automotive Research, said BMW is a canary in a coal mine for the industry.
Noun
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There are obvious similarities to Brad Marchand here, with rat king energy and two-way skill, but his shutdown play could put him on the Seth Jarvis track, too.
-
Retrofitted rat traps that fired Hollywood blanks meant to deafen and deter.
Noun
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Wandering tattlers, the ruddy turnstone and a variety of other summer migrants will be found on our local beaches.
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Tattling to the Bachelor doesn’t always go well for the tattler.
Noun
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Zach Wichter is a travel reporter and writes the Cruising Altitude column for USA TODAY.
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The Riverside County sheriff drew flak for conservatives like Laura Loomer for kneeling alongside activists in the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests and, when pressed by a CNN reporter, for signaling openness to a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants.
Cite this Entry
“Tattletale.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tattletale. Accessed 30 Jun. 2026.
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