tell of
phrasal verb
told of; telling of; tells of
formal + literary
1
: to be evidence of (something) : to indicate
Her smile told of her good news.
His rough hands tell of a hard life.
2
: to describe (something) : to make the details of (something) known
The article tells of her Arctic journey.
3
: to talk to (someone) about (something)
He told us of his plans to move to the city.
Examples of tell of in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
This period soap opera tells of fictional and real-life characters from this era of tremendous wealth accumulation and rapid industrial growth.
—
Michele Herrmann, Forbes.com, 15 June 2025
That tells of the job the Panthers are doing on defense — but then the Panthers lead the NHL this postseason in giving up 2.5 goals per game.
—Dave Hyde, Sun Sentinel, 15 June 2025
Monkey Man told of a man who infiltrates a night club in order to exact vengeance on the man who killed his mother years earlier.
—Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 10 May 2025
Legend tells of trolls living under bridges demanding tolls from those who cross.
—Emily Curiel, Kansas City Star, 8 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for tell of
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Michele Herrmann, Forbes.com, 15 June 2025
That tells of the job the Panthers are doing on defense — but then the Panthers lead the NHL this postseason in giving up 2.5 goals per game.
—Dave Hyde, Sun Sentinel, 15 June 2025
Monkey Man told of a man who infiltrates a night club in order to exact vengeance on the man who killed his mother years earlier.
—Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 10 May 2025
Legend tells of trolls living under bridges demanding tolls from those who cross.
—Emily Curiel, Kansas City Star, 8 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for tell of
Cite this Entry
“Tell of.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tell%20of. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.
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