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
His story still hasn’t been entirely told on a big platform, as of yet.
—
Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 6 Dec. 2025
These results aren’t surprising, GOP strategist Matt Klink told on Tuesday.
—Andrew Stanton, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Nov. 2025
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.
—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
See All Example Sentences for tell on
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Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 6 Dec. 2025
These results aren’t surprising, GOP strategist Matt Klink told on Tuesday.
—Andrew Stanton, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Nov. 2025
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.
—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
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 Dec. 2025.
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