as in to explain
to make plain or understandable
the dating applicant spelled out exactly what she wanted in a man
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of spell out
At the building’s peak, five-foot-tall concrete letters spell out a hundred and three words of a speech delivered by Obama in Selma, Alabama, in 2015, on the fiftieth anniversary of Bloody Sunday, when John Lewis and other civil-rights activists were beaten at the foot of the Edmund Pettus Bridge.
—
Peter Slevin, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
The sign spelled out the name Billy Boman.
—Matti Yahav, Fortune, 29 Apr. 2026
Sim released a statement of his own Tuesday that spelled out the club’s history in Vancouver dating back to 1974 and its sporting success over the last few seasons in MLS.
—Paul Tenorio, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2026
The consent decree spells out the back pay 26 workers will get for work they should have been paid between 2019 and 2023.
—Esme Murphy, CBS News, 28 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for spell out
Peter Slevin, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
The sign spelled out the name Billy Boman.
—Matti Yahav, Fortune, 29 Apr. 2026
Sim released a statement of his own Tuesday that spelled out the club’s history in Vancouver dating back to 1974 and its sporting success over the last few seasons in MLS.
—Paul Tenorio, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2026
The consent decree spells out the back pay 26 workers will get for work they should have been paid between 2019 and 2023.
—Esme Murphy, CBS News, 28 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for spell out
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spell out
Verb
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Vrabel, meanwhile, stumbled though multiple press conferences while trying to both avoid and explain the issue without ever really providing details.—
Armando Salguero OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
15 May 2026
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This may explain why credit markets barely budged after last week’s spending figures.—
Alaa Shahine Salha,
semafor.com,
14 May 2026
Verb
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Another viral pro-Pratt ad, not produced by Pratt’s own campaign, best illustrates the perils of populist-right energy.—
Conor Friedersdorf,
The Atlantic,
12 May 2026
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Principles of Scientific Management’s success illustrates the utility, and the power, of the appearance of empiricism.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
12 May 2026
Verb
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The next step is finding a place to meet in the middle and clarify what’s unsaid or unclear on both sides.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Chicago Tribune,
15 May 2026
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Check the facts, ask one clarifying question, and let real information settle your nervous system.—
Tarot.com,
The Orlando Sentinel,
15 May 2026
Verb
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In reality, the incident had no bearing on subway construction—much of Los Angeles sits on or near petroleum and natural-gas deposits, and Metro engineers had already demonstrated that they were equipped to deal with the hazards—but the bill passed anyway.—
Oren Peleg,
New Yorker,
9 May 2026
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Yet many of its students aren’t demonstrating even an elementary grasp of free speech.—
Editorial,
Boston Herald,
9 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Spell out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spell%20out. Accessed 16 May. 2026.
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