1
as in to describe
to give an oral or written account of in some detail
they told the story of how they had met
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in to say
to express (a thought or emotion) in words
just tell us what is in your heart
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
4
as in to inform
to give information to
tell me, when did you begin playing the violin?
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in to instruct
to issue orders to (someone) by right of authority
told us to sit still and wait
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in to reveal
to make known (as information previously kept secret)
I won't tell your secret to anyone
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of tell
Halaena can tell that something’s up with mummy, but that kook’s never been too concerned with matters of court.
—
Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 22 June 2026
Kathy Hendrickson came from Newington to try the free lessons after a friend who rows told her about it.
—Lori Riley, Hartford Courant, 21 June 2026
Tim Drea, president of the Illinois AFL-CIO, told the Tribune.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 21 June 2026
An official with knowledge of the talks later told the AP the Iranian delegation remained engaged in the talks and has not indicated to mediators any intention to leave.
—ABC News, 21 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for tell
Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 22 June 2026
Kathy Hendrickson came from Newington to try the free lessons after a friend who rows told her about it.
—Lori Riley, Hartford Courant, 21 June 2026
Tim Drea, president of the Illinois AFL-CIO, told the Tribune.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 21 June 2026
An official with knowledge of the talks later told the AP the Iranian delegation remained engaged in the talks and has not indicated to mediators any intention to leave.
—ABC News, 21 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for tell
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tell
Verb
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The offender is described as an African-American man between 40-45 years of age, weighing 180-200 pounds, and was last seen wearing a gray/black baseball cap, a light blue shirt, gray pants, and black gym shoes.—
Jeramie Bizzle,
CBS News,
22 June 2026
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Speaking on the achievement, Dassault Aviation Chairman and CEO Eric Trappier described the maiden flight as an important milestone for the company.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
21 June 2026
Verb
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Riccobono said that the training needs to start with something as basic as the right way to approach a blind passenger.—
Zach Wichter,
USA Today,
22 June 2026
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Rejoining would also generate yet more uncertainty for companies which are only just adapting to the new trading relationship, said Sean McGuire, a director at the Confederation of British Industry, a business lobby group.—
Hanna Ziady,
CNN Money,
22 June 2026
Verb
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One group counts $25 million in support from OpenAI co-founder Greg Brockman and his wife, Anna, alongside $100 million tied to one of Silicon Valley’s biggest venture capital firms, which holds a large stake in OpenAI.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
21 June 2026
-
Eternal Sunshine, Thank U, Next, My Everything and Positions are counted among her half-dozen rulers.—
Hugh McIntyre,
Forbes.com,
21 June 2026
Verb
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But another four or five weeks of games can inform Weiss and Anthopoulos’ own answer.—
Ken Sugiura,
AJC.com,
16 June 2026
-
McGregor Scott, Williamson’s attorney, said he had not been informed of any other investigations involving his client.—
Lia Russell,
Sacbee.com,
16 June 2026
Verb
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Before the opening of SoFi Stadium’s gates, a security official from the security contractor CSC told The Athletic that he had been instructed — and had, in turn, instructed all of his staffers — to not let fans enter with flags bearing any Iranian pre-revolution imagery.—
Henry Bushnell,
New York Times,
16 June 2026
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The letters instruct recipients to return any paper citizenship certificates while the review is underway.—
Anthony Thompson,
USA Today,
16 June 2026
Verb
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Now Reid, dressed in black with his chest partially exposed beneath an open jacket revealing a scar, stepped on stage and into the role of Lestat in front of the audience.—
Precious Fondren,
Los Angeles Times,
20 June 2026
-
The first photos showed her in a black lace bodysuit that revealed her bra and micro mini shorts below.—
Meg Walters,
InStyle,
20 June 2026
Verb
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Farrell, who also narrates in a soft voice, often wears a look of shy incomprehension, as if a beat behind in translating the world around him, a stranger in a strange land.—
Robert Lloyd,
Los Angeles Times,
19 June 2026
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This work by Helen Cammock, which was commissioned in 2023 and has been on temporary display at the NPG since September 2025, is created and narrated by the artist and includes her personal reflections on historical and current events.—
Maximilíano Durón,
ARTnews.com,
18 June 2026
Verb
-
There were cartoons while dressing children, evening news while cooking dinner, and, before bed, families watched mutely as onscreen families laughed and talked.—
Molly Fischer,
New Yorker,
15 June 2026
-
Sehic said there were many people at the restaurant at the time, and said Campbell was talking to someone else at the bar when he was approached by Harakh.—
Neal Riley,
CBS News,
15 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tell.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tell. Accessed 22 Jun. 2026.
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