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
This will be the third time the story has been told on screen.
—
Christopher Rudolph, People.com, 6 Aug. 2025
Some blowing the whistle to Congress are telling on the FBI and Department of Justice.
—Sharyl Attkisson, Baltimore Sun, 25 July 2025
In 1990, the von Bülow story was told on the big screen in Reversal of Fortune, which starred Glenn Close and Jeremy Irons and was produced by Edward R. Pressman and Oliver Stone.
—Lynette Rice, Deadline, 23 July 2025
Playing the role has been a tremendous pleasure, all thanks to George — to be part of the first giant story told on film.
—Todd Gilchrist, Variety, 26 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tell on
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Christopher Rudolph, People.com, 6 Aug. 2025
Some blowing the whistle to Congress are telling on the FBI and Department of Justice.
—Sharyl Attkisson, Baltimore Sun, 25 July 2025
In 1990, the von Bülow story was told on the big screen in Reversal of Fortune, which starred Glenn Close and Jeremy Irons and was produced by Edward R. Pressman and Oliver Stone.
—Lynette Rice, Deadline, 23 July 2025
Playing the role has been a tremendous pleasure, all thanks to George — to be part of the first giant story told on film.
—Todd Gilchrist, Variety, 26 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tell on
Cite this Entry
“Tell on.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tell%20on. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share