as in explained
to make plain or understandable
the dating applicant spelled out exactly what she wanted in a man
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Recent Examples of spelled out
Regarding the shutdown, Democrats have spelled out a list of 10 demands to change the behavior of immigration officers, but finding consensus has been tough.
—
Ximena Bustillo, NPR, 3 Mar. 2026
The Sculptra salesperson had given all us front office ladies SCULPTRA™ tee shirts with the words spelled out in rhinestones across our breasts.
—Literary Hub, 3 Mar. 2026
However, Schwartz said some of the requirements — and further compensation — may be spelled out in contracts for employees that are represented by a labor union.
—Kenneth R. Gosselin, Hartford Courant, 1 Mar. 2026
Making use of a patented new mechanism, the Day-Date was the world’s first automatic chronometer featuring both the day of the week spelled out in full as well as the date on the dial.
—Oren Hartov, Robb Report, 25 Feb. 2026
The White House hasn’t spelled out its aims in terms of specific demands, red lines, or the tipping point that might trigger a series of air strikes.
—John Miller, CNN Money, 25 Feb. 2026
Scroll through the comments beneath the official Ed Sullivan uploads, and the lineage of K-pop is spelled out in real time.
—Margaret Heidenry, Vanity Fair, 24 Feb. 2026
When completed, the park had a mini Golden Gate Bridge and giant letters that spelled out the name of our state (which were removed about a decade later).
—Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 24 Feb. 2026
Occupations that qualify for the tax break on tips as spelled out by Treasury also include bartenders, washroom attendants, elderly companions, party planners, pet groomers and more.
—Susan Tompor, USA Today, 19 Feb. 2026
Ximena Bustillo, NPR, 3 Mar. 2026
The Sculptra salesperson had given all us front office ladies SCULPTRA™ tee shirts with the words spelled out in rhinestones across our breasts.
—Literary Hub, 3 Mar. 2026
However, Schwartz said some of the requirements — and further compensation — may be spelled out in contracts for employees that are represented by a labor union.
—Kenneth R. Gosselin, Hartford Courant, 1 Mar. 2026
Making use of a patented new mechanism, the Day-Date was the world’s first automatic chronometer featuring both the day of the week spelled out in full as well as the date on the dial.
—Oren Hartov, Robb Report, 25 Feb. 2026
The White House hasn’t spelled out its aims in terms of specific demands, red lines, or the tipping point that might trigger a series of air strikes.
—John Miller, CNN Money, 25 Feb. 2026
Scroll through the comments beneath the official Ed Sullivan uploads, and the lineage of K-pop is spelled out in real time.
—Margaret Heidenry, Vanity Fair, 24 Feb. 2026
When completed, the park had a mini Golden Gate Bridge and giant letters that spelled out the name of our state (which were removed about a decade later).
—Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 24 Feb. 2026
Occupations that qualify for the tax break on tips as spelled out by Treasury also include bartenders, washroom attendants, elderly companions, party planners, pet groomers and more.
—Susan Tompor, USA Today, 19 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spelled out
Verb
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Big productivity gains might have explained things, but government data showed no sign of them.—
Paul Wiseman,
Los Angeles Times,
2 Mar. 2026
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Among young adults with rectal cancer, 41% report rectal bleeding as their first symptom, compared with 27% of older adults, Dahut explained.—
Dr. Ishani D. Premaratne,
ABC News,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Though the sirens have not yet been fully brought online, their effectiveness was illustrated during a recent test run.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Mar. 2026
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The scope of what may be going undetected is illustrated by a striking statistical pattern.—
Marc Joffe,
Daily News,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
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By cooling an atomically thin crystal of nickel phosphorus trisulfide, or NiPS3, the team observed a full sequence of exotic magnetic phases predicted in the 1970s but never fully demonstrated in a single system.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Mar. 2026
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So far, the UAE has demonstrated an impressive capability with air defenses, but if Iran continues to target civilians, Abu Dhabi will undoubtedly flex its offensive capabilities.—
Tareq Alotaiba,
semafor.com,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Reps for Paramount and the European Commission clarified that Gordon’s comments relate to approvals from the foreign direct investment (FDI) authorities for Germany and Slovenia, and don’t relate to competition.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
2 Mar. 2026
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However, Barrera later clarified her comments and denounced antisemitism.—
Nick Romano,
Entertainment Weekly,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
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That year, Waldo created the Asian and Asian American Classical Caucus, which promotes the study of how Asian and Asian American cultures have interpreted antiquity.—
Chang Che,
New Yorker,
8 Mar. 2026
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While Anthropic has characterized the inquiry as routine, the Pentagon and Palantir interpreted it as a potential threat to their access.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
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From pineapple to cream cheese, the same ingredients first featured in the 1978 version of this popular layer cake still shine in our new version—simplified by baking in a Bundt pan.—
Alana Al-Hatlani,
Southern Living,
1 Mar. 2026
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The bill drew criticism for tucking the National Guard provision into a lengthy list of changes including reforms to veterans' affairs policies and simplified training requirements for out-of-state police officers.—
Jordan Smith,
IndyStar,
27 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Spelled out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spelled%20out. Accessed 9 Mar. 2026.
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