as in explaining
to make plain or understandable
the dating applicant spelled out exactly what she wanted in a man
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Recent Examples of spelling out
At the same time, Xinjiang, as an obvious hotspot, hardly needs spelling out.
—
Jasmin Malik Chua, Sourcing Journal, 29 Oct. 2025
By statute, districts must send voters a mailer spelling out those particulars.
—Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 28 Oct. 2025
More in-depth filings spelling out Combs’ arguments for why his conviction and sentence should be overturned are expected to be submitted to the Second Circuit Court of Appeals in the coming weeks, where the case will go before a three-judge panel.
—Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 20 Oct. 2025
As Virgin Voyages' new stage show began, pink neon letters spelling out a woman's name glowed brightly in the low lights.
—Nathan Diller, USA Today, 29 Sep. 2025
Media lawyers and newsroom leaders are evaluating a government memo spelling out new rules that would sharply restrict reporting at the Pentagon.
—Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 22 Sep. 2025
The campaign was photographed and filmed by Oliver Hadlee Pearch with an original track that also has Campbell spelling out the famous Italian brand.
—Miles Socha, Footwear News, 4 Sep. 2025
Kill those fears by spelling out exactly what's in and what's out.
—Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 22 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
Jasmin Malik Chua, Sourcing Journal, 29 Oct. 2025
By statute, districts must send voters a mailer spelling out those particulars.
—Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 28 Oct. 2025
More in-depth filings spelling out Combs’ arguments for why his conviction and sentence should be overturned are expected to be submitted to the Second Circuit Court of Appeals in the coming weeks, where the case will go before a three-judge panel.
—Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 20 Oct. 2025
As Virgin Voyages' new stage show began, pink neon letters spelling out a woman's name glowed brightly in the low lights.
—Nathan Diller, USA Today, 29 Sep. 2025
Media lawyers and newsroom leaders are evaluating a government memo spelling out new rules that would sharply restrict reporting at the Pentagon.
—Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 22 Sep. 2025
The campaign was photographed and filmed by Oliver Hadlee Pearch with an original track that also has Campbell spelling out the famous Italian brand.
—Miles Socha, Footwear News, 4 Sep. 2025
Kill those fears by spelling out exactly what's in and what's out.
—Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 22 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spelling out
Verb
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The sheriff rebutted these calls by explaining that due to the executive order signed by Braun in January and related directives from Attorney General Todd Rokita, he was forced to comply with federal immigration efforts.—
Noe Padilla,
IndyStar,
31 Oct. 2025
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And politicians often use them as a way of explaining why things are going in a wrong direction, instead of taking responsibility for whatever goes wrong, or simply to raise fear.—
Etan Vlessing,
HollywoodReporter,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The Jayhawks would go onto win 38-21, with that particular drive illustrating the dominance of Kansas’ ground game Saturday.—
Shreyas Laddha,
Kansas City Star,
1 Nov. 2025
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But before the Dragon Ball anime, Toriyama worked on character designs for the Dragon Quest series, illustrating, among dozens of others, the instantly recognizable Slime seen in every entry in the series.—
Rhi Easby,
Rolling Stone,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Thanks for clarifying, Michael.—
Megan Johnson,
Architectural Digest,
23 Oct. 2025
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The noncomedogenic formula retains face oil’s nourishing benefits while honing in on calming, clarifying, and evening.—
Kiana Murden,
Vogue,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Earlier this month, the robot performed a classical dance routine and learnt the art of picking up tennis balls, demonstrating its dexterity and autonomy.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
28 Oct. 2025
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She has continually innovated, elevated, and strengthened Variety with vision and passion, demonstrating an unparalleled ability to embrace challenges and drive success.—
William Earl,
Variety,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
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While the players' plane went across the border to the United States with ease, the second place — the one Roberts was on — had some trouble getting across.—
Noah Camras,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 Oct. 2025
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For borrowers in their second or third year of college worried about getting across the finish line, Pierce recommends speaking with financial aid offices to access grants or cheaper loans to fill gaps.—
Rachel Hale,
USA Today,
4 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Spelling out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spelling%20out. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
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