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
Coach John Wroblewski shook his head quickly when told of the kickoff time.
—
Andrew Greif, NBC news, 8 Feb. 2026
Rockrohr used both sides of this visual coin, telling of groundwork done by the late Harry Teshima to bring Black residents into the community and tales of lasting friendships and stories of insults thrown at Black students.
—Jerry Shnay, Chicago Tribune, 3 Feb. 2026
The lawsuit Reilly filed alleges that police were contacted by staff at Midstate Medical Center and told of Mollow’s statements about wanting to kill Ashworth.
—Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 30 Jan. 2026
In typical Toliver fashion, the record tells of his partying habits and luxurious lifestyle, but peeking through heavy layers of pop samples, dark synths and peppy trap drums, Toliver sheds light on his loving relationship (with fellow singer Kali Uchis) and a newfound sense of peace in his life.
—Cerys Davies, Los Angeles Times, 30 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tell of
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Andrew Greif, NBC news, 8 Feb. 2026
Rockrohr used both sides of this visual coin, telling of groundwork done by the late Harry Teshima to bring Black residents into the community and tales of lasting friendships and stories of insults thrown at Black students.
—Jerry Shnay, Chicago Tribune, 3 Feb. 2026
The lawsuit Reilly filed alleges that police were contacted by staff at Midstate Medical Center and told of Mollow’s statements about wanting to kill Ashworth.
—Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 30 Jan. 2026
In typical Toliver fashion, the record tells of his partying habits and luxurious lifestyle, but peeking through heavy layers of pop samples, dark synths and peppy trap drums, Toliver sheds light on his loving relationship (with fellow singer Kali Uchis) and a newfound sense of peace in his life.
—Cerys Davies, Los Angeles Times, 30 Jan. 2026
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 11 Feb. 2026.
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