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
Concocted legality Most officers can tell the difference between orders that uphold our values and those that contradict them.
—
Jon Duffy, Mercury News, 29 Nov. 2025
Dogs can tell the difference between emotions shown through things like body language, facial expressions, tone of voice, and even smell.
—Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Nov. 2025
Many people won’t be able to tell the difference, will be too desensitized to care, or—and this is Youcis’s wager—may start thinking that being a Nazi is no big deal.
—Tyler Austin Harper, The Atlantic, 26 Nov. 2025
Gluten-Free Stuffing Mix The second is Trader Joe’s Gluten Free Stuffing Mix, which features gluten-free croutons that bake up into a stuffing so delicious, no one will be able to tell the difference.
—Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tell the difference
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Jon Duffy, Mercury News, 29 Nov. 2025
Dogs can tell the difference between emotions shown through things like body language, facial expressions, tone of voice, and even smell.
—Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Nov. 2025
Many people won’t be able to tell the difference, will be too desensitized to care, or—and this is Youcis’s wager—may start thinking that being a Nazi is no big deal.
—Tyler Austin Harper, The Atlantic, 26 Nov. 2025
Gluten-Free Stuffing Mix The second is Trader Joe’s Gluten Free Stuffing Mix, which features gluten-free croutons that bake up into a stuffing so delicious, no one will be able to tell the difference.
—Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tell the difference
Cite this Entry
“Tell the difference.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tell%20the%20difference. Accessed 3 Dec. 2025.
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