tell time
idiom
US
: to be able to know what time it is by looking at a clock
My son is just learning to tell time.
Examples of tell time in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Atomic clocks, including hydrogen masers and cesium beam clocks, rely on the natural resonant frequencies of atoms to tell time with extremely high accuracy.
—
Joe Hernandez, NPR, 21 Dec. 2025
People have cellphones that tell time.
—Shayla Love, The Atlantic, 21 Dec. 2025
All four models initially failed to tell time accurately.
—IEEE Spectrum, 8 Nov. 2025
Original price: $29.99 Buy the Sharper Image LED light-up word clock for a unique and stylish way to tell time.
—Nora Colomer
May Earn A Commission If You Buy Through Our Referral Links. This Content Was Created By A Team That Works Independently From The Fox Newsroom., FOXNews.com, 6 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tell time
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Joe Hernandez, NPR, 21 Dec. 2025
People have cellphones that tell time.
—Shayla Love, The Atlantic, 21 Dec. 2025
All four models initially failed to tell time accurately.
—IEEE Spectrum, 8 Nov. 2025
Original price: $29.99 Buy the Sharper Image LED light-up word clock for a unique and stylish way to tell time.
—Nora Colomer
May Earn A Commission If You Buy Through Our Referral Links. This Content Was Created By A Team That Works Independently From The Fox Newsroom., FOXNews.com, 6 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tell time
Cite this Entry
“Tell time.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tell%20time. Accessed 14 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share