1,400 new words in our dictionary! — Parasocial, glow-up, promposal & more
1,400 new words in our dictionary! — More

spell out

verb

Definition of spell outnext
as in to explain
to make plain or understandable the dating applicant spelled out exactly what she wanted in a man

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of spell out The grid spells out, anonymously, the rate expectations for the full 19 participants at the meeting, though Warsh withheld his dot for the June update. — Jeff Cox, CNBC, 14 Sep. 2026 Use the language of the job description honestly, spell out key skills and focus on measurable outcomes. — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 14 Sep. 2026 Also pictured was a custom chain with Bronze’s name spelled out in diamonds. — Emy Lacroix, PEOPLE, 14 Sep. 2026 According to a later report by Le Monde published today, the new court order also spells out why that argument in itself is an inherent contradiction. — Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 11 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for spell out
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spell out
  1. explain
  2. illustrate
  3. clarify
  4. demonstrate
Verb
  • One month before the Pentagon announced its first equity stake in a company, its top lawyer asked the White House to explain why the deal wouldn’t break the law.
    — Eleanor Mueller, semafor.com, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Kane also introduced some new styles, like the asymmetrical axe bag in white leather, and the chop, a smaller, curved shoulder bag style, both centered on the idea of cutting away at a Mulberry tree to promote new growth, Kane explained backstage.
    — Lucy Maguire, Vogue, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of explain
Verb
  • The Kalshi and DraftKings cases illustrate how sports leagues face legal hurdles in trying to block gambling companies from using marks and logos in online offerings.
    — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 24 Sep. 2026
  • Documenting many varieties is a way to not just share the language, but to illustrate how dialects of Pennsylvania Dutch differ and maybe even fill in each other’s gaps.
    — Eythana Miller, The Dial, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of illustrate
Verb
  • Haddad clarifies that vinyl itself doesn’t rust, which means that any visible rust on the siding is coming from something else.
    — The Spruce, The Spruce, 20 Sep. 2026
  • With declining enrollment, high administrative costs, significant facility repairs on the horizon and state and federal funding support up in the air, administrators clarified that drastic cuts remain the only solution.
    — Claire Murphy, Chicago Tribune, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of clarify
Verb
  • The obvious next step would be to balance the look's short hemline with an equally classic pair of knee-high boots, just as Bella Hadid recently demonstrated on the streets of New York.
    — Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 23 Sep. 2026
  • The Italian brand however, previously acknowledged the atelier’s contributions on social media and are bringing Chanakya artisans to an upcoming Harrods pop-up in London to demonstrate craft techniques.
    — CNN Money, CNN Money, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of demonstrate

Browse Nearby Words

spelling out
spell out
spells
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Spell out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spell%20out. Accessed 27 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 25
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of the words cracker fly and sale arranged in a triangle with the word fire in the middle
Triple Play Quiz Find the word that pairs with each of the three g...
See All