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spelling out

verb

present participle of spell out
as in explaining
to make plain or understandable the dating applicant spelled out exactly what she wanted in a man

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 spelling out The Secretary of State's office also released a contingency plan spelling out exactly how a statewide hand recount would be run if Lindell posts the bond by Monday's deadline. — Eric Henderson, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026 Existing plans must also mail every enrollee an Annual Notice of Change around the same time, spelling out exactly what that person’s premium, deductible and covered drugs will look like in January. — Jesse Pines, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026 After a court filing spelling out the agreement came during the last hour of trading on Wall Street, shares in Paramount added to what was already a lackluster day. — Ted Johnson, Deadline, 24 July 2026 The motion was denied, and in the early hours of June 13, the center removed the letters spelling out the president’s name. — Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 9 July 2026 The doctor has a right to contest these before a health law judge or the commission issues a final order spelling out any disciplinary action or dropping the case. — Ashley Hiruko, ProPublica, 8 July 2026 The two sides still have to finalize agreements spelling out the services that will be provided at each venue by July 2027. — David Zahniser, Los Angeles Times, 27 June 2026 Coupal initially stood his ground, but later issued a letter spelling out terms for the eventual agreement. — Stephen Hobbs, Sacbee.com, 26 June 2026 After a day of legal maneuvers and thunderstorms, workers began the process in the early morning hours of removing the letters spelling out the Republican president’s name from the facade of the iconic performing arts venue. — Steven Sloan, Fortune, 13 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spelling out
  1. explaining
  2. illustrating
  3. clarifying
  4. demonstrating
  5. getting across
Verb
  • Here, Theron grew particularly impassioned, explaining that people try to oversimplify the situation.
    — Angelique Jackson, Variety, 21 Sep. 2026
  • After a short speech explaining my work, college students clapped for me.
    — Susan Daria Landino, Hartford Courant, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of explaining
Verb
  • Schlager has contributed 18 of those recoveries, with his midfield partner James McAtee having made 19, illustrating their nascent partnership.
    — Paul Taylor, New York Times, 16 Sep. 2026
  • The moonphase displayed is not created by partially obscuring an image of the Moon, but by the continuous movement of the two, illustrating the time elapsed between one new moon and the next full moon.
    — Carol Besler, Robb Report, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of illustrating
Verb
  • On the west side of the property, which Fort Worth owns, there are tanks and other equipment for receiving, clarifying and treating wastewater before it is discharged into the nearby West Fork of the Trinity River.
    — Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 Sep. 2026
  • One Question Every Leader Should Ask Unexpected setbacks, whether personal, professional or organizational, have a way of clarifying what’s really important.
    — Nathan Mitchell, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of clarifying
Verb
  • The findings therefore point specifically to an association with birthweight rather than demonstrating that rare earth exposure causes restricted fetal growth.
    — Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Yet there remains a sense of remove in the production’s perpetual excitement at demonstrating just how well its own analog works.
    — Sara Holdren, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of demonstrating
Verb
  • For getting up the hill and getting across the flatter sections.
    — Outside Online, Outside Online, 7 Jan. 2026
  • The issue has been discussed within Congress for years and has received bipartisan support, but obstacles have repeatedly stopped the effort from getting across the finish line.
    — Jared Gans, The Hill, 11 Dec. 2025
Definition of getting across

Browse Nearby Words

spelling
spelling out
spell out
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Cite this Entry

“Spelling out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spelling%20out. Accessed 22 Sep. 2026.

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