spell out

verb

spelled out; spelling out; spells out

transitive verb

1

: to make plain

spelled out the orders in detail

2

: to write or print in letters and in full

numbers are to be spelled out

Synonyms of spell out

• explain
• illustrate
• clarify
• demonstrate

Examples of spell out in a Sentence

the dating applicant spelled out exactly what she wanted in a man

Recent Examples on the Web

The Environmental Protection Agency’s Risk Management Program, or RMP, is the main federal program designed to prevent hazardous chemical incidents and spell out emergency procedures. —Evan Bush, NBC news, 30 May 2026

Those aspects would need to be carefully spelled out in the AI law. —Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 30 May 2026

Driving the Conversation Mina Kimes spells out success For my money, the smartest on-air talent in sports media is ESPN’s Mina Kimes. —Dan Shanoff, New York Times, 27 May 2026

Danantara’s impact on small-volume trade, specialized product exports and downstream industries still needs to be spelled out, according to Eddy Martono, chairman of the Indonesian Palm Oil Association. —Edna Tarigan, Fortune, 26 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1940, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for spell out

• about
• bailout
• blackout
• blowout
• breakout
• burnout
• buyout
• checkout
• closeout
• cutout
• devout
• dropout

Kids Definition

spell out

verb

1

: to make very plain

our duties were spelled out

2

: to write or print in letters and in full