tell of
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
Since leaving the Black Box theater, we are told of at least one amateur performance that dropped Ryan after discovering the truth about his past.
—
Max Goldbart, Deadline, 16 Apr. 2026
Hydrate Your Lips Dry, pale lips are one of the fastest tells of a rough night.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Miami Herald, 15 Apr. 2026
For Judd, that is the clearest tell of all.
—Kristin Stoller, Fortune, 6 Apr. 2026
Although the father wasn't told of the outcome, the older child accused of the abuse was removed from that foster program, according to the lawsuit.
—ABC News, 5 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tell of
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Max Goldbart, Deadline, 16 Apr. 2026
Hydrate Your Lips Dry, pale lips are one of the fastest tells of a rough night.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Miami Herald, 15 Apr. 2026
For Judd, that is the clearest tell of all.
—Kristin Stoller, Fortune, 6 Apr. 2026
Although the father wasn't told of the outcome, the older child accused of the abuse was removed from that foster program, according to the lawsuit.
—ABC News, 5 Apr. 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 23 Apr. 2026.
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