tell on
phrasal verb
told on; telling on; tells on
1
informal
: to tell someone in authority about the bad behavior or actions of (someone else)
Please don't tell on me.
2
: to have a noticeable effect on (someone or something)
The stress began to tell on her face/health.
Examples of tell on in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The candid remarks, told on his podcast to friend and actress Amy Yasbeck, marks the first time Kmetko has opened up fully about his departure from the E! network.
—
Dave Quinn, Peoplemag, 5 Apr. 2024
The 2024 presidential election will be a story told on TV.
—Kelly Lawler, USA TODAY, 18 Mar. 2024
Her videos have become the latest long-form story told on social media that has resonated with people online.
—Daysia Tolentino, NBC News, 22 Feb. 2024
Unless the director steps up like this May 14, 2021
King and Malcolm X’s stories are told on parallel tracks.
—Greg Braxton, Los Angeles Times, 22 Feb. 2024
And, standing behind the red-and-white front desk, Iran Chima at first told the small woman the exact same thing she had been told on the phone.
—Ariane Lange, Sacramento Bee, 2 Feb. 2024
Vinny gets called out for being a big baby and running to tell on Angelina for gossiping about Pauly D. He and Angelina become mortal enemies.
—Miami Staff, Miami Herald, 30 Jan. 2024
Time will tell on both counts in a season that includes a whopping 10 new offensive coordinators among the 14 SEC teams.
—John Zenor, Dallas News, 30 Aug. 2023
The employee said they were told on a group meeting that the layoffs were not related to performance, but a broader company reorganization.
—Byjessica Mathews, Fortune, 9 Nov. 2023
Dave Quinn, Peoplemag, 5 Apr. 2024
The 2024 presidential election will be a story told on TV.
—Kelly Lawler, USA TODAY, 18 Mar. 2024
Her videos have become the latest long-form story told on social media that has resonated with people online.
—Daysia Tolentino, NBC News, 22 Feb. 2024
Unless the director steps up like this May 14, 2021
King and Malcolm X’s stories are told on parallel tracks.
—Greg Braxton, Los Angeles Times, 22 Feb. 2024
And, standing behind the red-and-white front desk, Iran Chima at first told the small woman the exact same thing she had been told on the phone.
—Ariane Lange, Sacramento Bee, 2 Feb. 2024
Vinny gets called out for being a big baby and running to tell on Angelina for gossiping about Pauly D. He and Angelina become mortal enemies.
—Miami Staff, Miami Herald, 30 Jan. 2024
Time will tell on both counts in a season that includes a whopping 10 new offensive coordinators among the 14 SEC teams.
—John Zenor, Dallas News, 30 Aug. 2023
The employee said they were told on a group meeting that the layoffs were not related to performance, but a broader company reorganization.
—Byjessica Mathews, Fortune, 9 Nov. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tell on.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near tell on
Cite this Entry
“Tell on.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tell%20on. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
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