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
Jam must reckon with the stories she’s been told of the past and present and discover remaining monstrosities that the adults are unable, or unwilling, to see.
—
The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 10 Sep. 2025
Thousands have been released from months of detention in camps and jails without charge to tell of brutal conditions, including overcrowding, scant food supplies, inadequate medical attention and scabies outbreaks.
—Natalie Melzer, Twin Cities, 8 Sep. 2025
Another person told of losing $225.
—Tamia Fowlkes, jsonline.com, 4 Sep. 2025
That film, which adapted a 1958 novel by John Boland, told of former British Army officers who rob a bank in London.
—Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 2 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tell of
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The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 10 Sep. 2025
Thousands have been released from months of detention in camps and jails without charge to tell of brutal conditions, including overcrowding, scant food supplies, inadequate medical attention and scabies outbreaks.
—Natalie Melzer, Twin Cities, 8 Sep. 2025
Another person told of losing $225.
—Tamia Fowlkes, jsonline.com, 4 Sep. 2025
That film, which adapted a 1958 novel by John Boland, told of former British Army officers who rob a bank in London.
—Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 2 Sep. 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 18 Sep. 2025.
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