as in explains
to make plain or understandable
the dating applicant spelled out exactly what she wanted in a man
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Recent Examples of spells out
An extreme cold watch in Iowa spells out the dangerous conditions for the days ahead.
—
Cooper Worth, Des Moines Register, 21 Jan. 2026
An episode featuring Brody’s real-life wife Leighton Meester tries to fill in some backstory blanks, as does an episode that spells out how Joanne’s parents’ divorce impacted her.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 23 Oct. 2025
Texas law spells out when the state can step in if a school district struggles for too long to meet academic or leadership standards.
—Tiffani Jackson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Oct. 2025
The mammoth defense bill spells out Pentagon policy in the months and years ahead.
—Kate Wolffe, Sacbee.com, 13 Oct. 2025
But a chat message from Washington to a colleague, released to KUOW and ProPublica last week through a public records request, spells out additional reasons for turning down Daugaard’s proposal.
—Ashley Hiruko, ProPublica, 6 Oct. 2025
One of the highest annual tides of the year is on Wednesday, and the offshore winds blown in from this disturbance, plus all of the rain, likely spells out more flooding for South Floridians.
—Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 3 Oct. 2025
Guardiola referenced the length spells out with ACL injuries for Real Madrid defender Dani Carvajal and Barcelona teenager Marc Bernal as a reason to get the pacing of Rodri’s recovery right.
—Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 30 Sep. 2025
The Uniform Code of Military Justice, the federal law governing the military justice system, spells out how such cases are prosecuted.
—Anne Flaherty, ABC News, 30 Sep. 2025
Cooper Worth, Des Moines Register, 21 Jan. 2026
An episode featuring Brody’s real-life wife Leighton Meester tries to fill in some backstory blanks, as does an episode that spells out how Joanne’s parents’ divorce impacted her.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 23 Oct. 2025
Texas law spells out when the state can step in if a school district struggles for too long to meet academic or leadership standards.
—Tiffani Jackson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Oct. 2025
The mammoth defense bill spells out Pentagon policy in the months and years ahead.
—Kate Wolffe, Sacbee.com, 13 Oct. 2025
But a chat message from Washington to a colleague, released to KUOW and ProPublica last week through a public records request, spells out additional reasons for turning down Daugaard’s proposal.
—Ashley Hiruko, ProPublica, 6 Oct. 2025
One of the highest annual tides of the year is on Wednesday, and the offshore winds blown in from this disturbance, plus all of the rain, likely spells out more flooding for South Floridians.
—Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 3 Oct. 2025
Guardiola referenced the length spells out with ACL injuries for Real Madrid defender Dani Carvajal and Barcelona teenager Marc Bernal as a reason to get the pacing of Rodri’s recovery right.
—Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 30 Sep. 2025
The Uniform Code of Military Justice, the federal law governing the military justice system, spells out how such cases are prosecuted.
—Anne Flaherty, ABC News, 30 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spells out
Verb
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Tyler Stimmel, an agent in Music Brand Partnerships, further explains that when mega-events are so close together, brands can own a moment in culture rather than just a single event.—
Charles Taylor,
Forbes.com,
24 Jan. 2026
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Lior Torenberg explains what sets the Sad Girl Grifter (SGG) apart from her lying, scheming peers.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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ClassPass, the fitness subscription service, illustrates how narrow the line can be between improving conversion and alienating users.—
Esade Business & Law School,
Forbes.com,
23 Jan. 2026
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Her journey illustrates how online finance certifications can expand access to career progression in regions where traditional programs remain financially or geographically out of reach.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Rodriguez said the amendment clarifies that violations of the disclosure requirement would be enforced as civil violations, a change intended to address concerns raised earlier in the Rules, Elections and Intergovernmental Relations Committee.—
Teresa Liu,
Daily News,
21 Jan. 2026
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The guide clarifies when tax payments qualify for exemptions from remittance transfer disclosures and helps county offices ensure compliance.—
Carrie Brandon Elliot,
Forbes.com,
20 Jan. 2026
Verb
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End-to-end humanoid control Figure claims Helix 02 demonstrates a major step forward in humanoid autonomy by performing continuous, multi-minute tasks that require tight integration of locomotion, dexterity, and sensing.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
28 Jan. 2026
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Interestingly, a 2023 study from the Journal of Zoological and Botanical Gardens demonstrates that dolphins can remember others’ signature whistles even after long periods of separation.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Spells out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spells%20out. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
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