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
There’s nothing like the thrill of watching your team run out onto the field, seeing the marching band expertly spell out your team's name, the camaraderie of singing the opening song together to fill the stadium with school pride—like the Who’s iconic Baba O'Riley in Georgia’s Sanford Stadium.
—
Cameron Beall, Southern Living, 30 Aug. 2025
Under the new rules, buyers are required to sign a buyer representation agreement that spells out the fee structure and services before touring homes.
—Mike Winters, CNBC, 26 Aug. 2025
Erin McGlothlin, the vice dean of undergraduate affairs in WashU’s College of Arts & Sciences, told me this stems from the belief that grading rubrics should be crystal clear in spelling out how class discussion is evaluated.
—Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 17 Aug. 2025
Not that the down-to-earth stage royal visualizes her name spelled out in lights.
—Matthew Gurewitsch, Air Mail, 16 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spell out
Cameron Beall, Southern Living, 30 Aug. 2025
Under the new rules, buyers are required to sign a buyer representation agreement that spells out the fee structure and services before touring homes.
—Mike Winters, CNBC, 26 Aug. 2025
Erin McGlothlin, the vice dean of undergraduate affairs in WashU’s College of Arts & Sciences, told me this stems from the belief that grading rubrics should be crystal clear in spelling out how class discussion is evaluated.
—Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 17 Aug. 2025
Not that the down-to-earth stage royal visualizes her name spelled out in lights.
—Matthew Gurewitsch, Air Mail, 16 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spell out
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spell out
Verb
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Here, Renzi explains how long the doc was in the works, why family members didn’t participate, and how Marco of all people helped Sheen to get off crack.—
Lynette Rice,
Deadline,
13 Sep. 2025
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At a time when contentious words dominate our conversations—think insurrection and fascism and fake news and woke—the need for dictionaries to chronicle and explain language, and serve as its watchdog, has never been greater.—
Stefan Fatsis,
The Atlantic,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The timing, although likely coincidental, illustrated the dilemma Democrats currently face.—
Mabinty Quarshie,
The Washington Examiner,
11 Sep. 2025
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Still, Carney’s lyrical piece, a sort of prose poem-flash fiction hybrid, written from the point of view of an unborn baby, illustrates a womb space at once protective and cage-like.—
Manuel Muñoz,
Literary Hub,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Later Cox said a person of interest was in custody and being interviewed, and clarified that the person was not the man booked on the obstruction charge.—
Amanda Lee Myers,
USA Today,
11 Sep. 2025
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Of the 118 valid responses from patients, 108 indicated the ChatGPT summaries clarified details about the original report.—
Kate Ruder,
NPR,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The exhibit showcases promotional materials that demonstrate the film’s global impact.—
R. Daniel Foster,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
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Equally notable, the system moved seamlessly from low- to high-energy states on its own, demonstrating that its automatic adjustment isn’t just theory but a working feature.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
13 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Spell out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spell%20out. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
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