telling

adjective tell·ing \ ˈte-liŋ \

Definition of telling

:carrying great weight and producing a marked effect :effective, expressive

the most telling evidence

—

tellingly

play \-liŋ-lē\ adverb

See telling defined for English-language learners

See telling defined for kids

Examples of telling in a Sentence

Her experience is a telling example of why the nation's educational system needs to be changed.
The most telling moment in the case was when the victim took the stand.

Recent Examples of telling from the Web

Here are four storylines to watch ahead of the Colts traveling to Pittsburgh for the third and most telling preseason game Saturday (TV: WXIN-59, Radio: WFNI-AM (1070)): 1.

— zak keefer, Indianapolis Star, "Colts vs. Steelers: 4 things to watch," 25 Aug. 2017
But, perhaps the most telling portrait of the unease passing through Trump’s inner-circle was embodied by Chief of Staff John Kelly.

— isobel thompson, The Hive, "Dismayed and Demoralized, White House Staffers Are Still Standing by Trump," 16 Aug. 2017
A more telling issue came after as running backs coach Kyle Caskey charged in to confront Burfict, the linebacker pushed him away.

— paul dehner jr., Cincinnati.com, "Walkthru: Understanding Burfict backlash," 2 Aug. 2017
But the most telling change the HGTV star has made since embarking on his new single life?

— megan stein, PEOPLE.com, "Tarek El Moussa Shows Off His Bachelor Pad and Reveals His Yacht's New Name: ‘I Recently Changed It to "Bad Decisions"'," 29 June 2017
But a more telling figure is that from 2012 to 2015, memberships in small, specialized boutique gyms and niche fitness studios expanded 70 percent while membership in traditional health clubs grew just 5 percent.

— suzette parmley, Philly.com, "Blink's new gyms in Philly show how fitness is surging," 22 June 2017
In a 2011 profile, the Washington Post reported that, along with a few family pictures, Rosenstein kept a very telling sign hanging behind his desk in Baltimore during his time as U.S. attorney.

— kayleigh roberts, Cosmopolitan, "Who Is Rod Rosenstein? 9 Things to Know About the Deputy Attorney General.," 20 June 2017
A zest for life, an interest in the world, the pursuit of a passion, a desire to learn, a conscientious effort to keep mentally and physically healthy — those seem to be more telling qualities of true youth.

— ana veciana-suarez, miamiherald, "Old age, like beauty, is in the eye of beholder," 20 June 2017
With Paul Allen in attendance, Justin Jackson works out for Portland Trail Blazers TUALATIN -- The most telling part of Justin Jackson's predraft workout with the Portland Trail Blazers had nothing to do with his shot missing the mark.

— jen beyrle, OregonLive.com, "Watch: Oregon's Jordan Bell participates in shooting drill at NBA predraft workout for Portland Trail Blazers," 19 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'telling.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of telling

1819

telling Synonyms

Synonym Discussion of telling

valid, sound, cogent, convincing, telling mean having such force as to compel serious attention and usually acceptance. valid implies being supported by objective truth or generally accepted authority.