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
His arrest report tells of one incident caught on surveillance camera in which the student enters his office in a short skirt and sweater.
—
Charles Rabin, Miami Herald, 14 May 2025
Based on a script by Landes Echavarría and Duke Merriman, the story tells of a dental hygienist seduced by a mysterious mermaid into the dark and wet underworld of Florida’s exotic animal trade.
—Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 9 May 2025
When told of Finch’s comments, the Warriors didn’t exactly disagree.
—Anthony Slater, New York Times, 8 May 2025
New Faces During the show’s original run, the story told of a brave stranger who embarks on a mission to rescue Princess Aani, a prisoner of the Dark Queen.
—Spencer Whaley, Forbes.com, 8 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for tell of
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Charles Rabin, Miami Herald, 14 May 2025
Based on a script by Landes Echavarría and Duke Merriman, the story tells of a dental hygienist seduced by a mysterious mermaid into the dark and wet underworld of Florida’s exotic animal trade.
—Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 9 May 2025
When told of Finch’s comments, the Warriors didn’t exactly disagree.
—Anthony Slater, New York Times, 8 May 2025
New Faces During the show’s original run, the story told of a brave stranger who embarks on a mission to rescue Princess Aani, a prisoner of the Dark Queen.
—Spencer Whaley, Forbes.com, 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 24 May. 2025.
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