SPELL OUT Synonyms: 37 Similar and Opposite Words

spell out

verb

Definition of spell out

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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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 But for the moment, in a state that’s now among the Democratic nominating calendar’s earliest to vote, his campaign served as a vehicle for Ocasio-Cortez to spell out more ambitious policy than a single candidate’s platform. — Nicholas Wu, semafor.com, 16 Oct. 2026 Altman later spelled out why OpenAI would welcome safety requirements for frontier AI labs. — Sasha Tuddenham, Fortune, 15 Oct. 2026 The doors finally open Store Manager Patrick McGuinness welcomed customers pushing their shopping carts into the store while leading loud chants, such as spelling out Wegmans letter by letter. — Charlotte Observer, 14 Oct. 2026 As red smoke billowed above them, the students stood in front of large gray letters spelling out the school's name, holding a Palestinian flag. — Asra Q. Nomani, FOXNews.com, 9 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for spell out

Recent Examples of Synonyms for spell out

Verb

An elephantine star becoming a black hole doesn’t explain it either.

— Robin George Andrews, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
Maybe this explains why Effective Altruism—the idea that generosity should be subjected to evidence and calculation—seemed counterintuitive.

— David Miliband, Time, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of explain

Verb

Criminal conduct before citizenship The case illustrates how criminal conduct committed before naturalization can have consequences years after an immigrant becomes an American citizen.

— Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 22 Oct. 2026
The sellers made a mistake — and a trip to the poker table helps illustrate their folly.

— Kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of illustrate

Verb

In his telling, the military campaigns against Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran demonstrate the value of uncompromising power.

— Eric Cortellessa, Time, 22 Oct. 2026
Completing the flight test just weeks after a captive-carry event demonstrated how quickly the program progressed through its testing sequence.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of demonstrate

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spelling out

spell out

spells

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Style

“Spell out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spell%20out. Accessed 25 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of spell out

verb

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