tell the difference

idiom

: to see how two or more people or things are unlike each other

It's hard to tell the difference between one action movie and another.

The new version is supposed to be much better than the old one, but I can't tell the difference (between them).

Examples of tell the difference in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Sofia Hamilton writes for Reason that her favorite convenience store unknowingly sells counterfeit nicotine pouches, and how only someone deeply familiar with FDA nicotine rules could tell the difference. —Max Cunningham, Fortune, 14 Dec. 2025

Here's how to tell the difference. —John Tufts, IndyStar, 10 Dec. 2025

Here's how to tell the difference between harmless crystals and signs of spoiled cheese, plus how to store your cheese properly to keep it tasting its best. —Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 5 Dec. 2025

Maduro would be forgiven for not being able to tell the difference between the grounds for a pardon and the grounds for an invasion. —Newsweek Editors, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Dec. 2025

Rhymes for tell the difference

• indifference