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
Laudermilch explained that Liberty’s women’s track and cross-country program was told on July 30 that, in order for the school to comply with Title IX, its roster would have to shrink from 24 to 17 runners.
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Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 5 Nov. 2025
In the years since her death, Wuornos's story has been told on the screen several times, most famously in the 2003 film Monster.
—Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Oct. 2025
Needless to say, that story has been told on his official releases of the era, from Bob Dylan to Another Side of Bob Dylan and Bringing It All Back Home and beyond.
—David Browne, Rolling Stone, 26 Oct. 2025
The expense will be funded using excess revenue from 2023, commissioners were told on Thursday.
—Arkansas Online, 16 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tell on
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Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 5 Nov. 2025
In the years since her death, Wuornos's story has been told on the screen several times, most famously in the 2003 film Monster.
—Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Oct. 2025
Needless to say, that story has been told on his official releases of the era, from Bob Dylan to Another Side of Bob Dylan and Bringing It All Back Home and beyond.
—David Browne, Rolling Stone, 26 Oct. 2025
The expense will be funded using excess revenue from 2023, commissioners were told on Thursday.
—Arkansas Online, 16 Oct. 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 10 Nov. 2025.
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