spells out

verb

present tense third-person singular of spell out
as in explains
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 spells out The suit spells out how and when that’s alleged to have occurred. — Laura Bauer, Kansas City Star, 16 Sep. 2026 The grid spells out, anonymously, the rate expectations for the full 19 participants at the meeting, though Warsh withheld his dot for the June update. — Jeff Cox, CNBC, 14 Sep. 2026 According to a later report by Le Monde published today, the new court order also spells out why that argument in itself is an inherent contradiction. — Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 11 Sep. 2026 Election law, for example, spells out the circumstances under which ballots can be examined, even during a criminal prosecution. — Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 25 Aug. 2026 Carlson also spells out a distinction the 90-10 case rather takes for granted. — Dara-Abasi Ita, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026 The film spells out the gargantuan payouts that each Boeing CEO has received, despite the crashes and questions about their actions and the company’s faltering value. — Stuart Miller, Los Angeles Times, 19 Aug. 2026 There are special allowances for vehicles at least 100 years old, believe it or not, but as this AutoWeek explainer from 2024 spells out, good luck trying to ship a ’60s Mustang across the world to drive it on their streets. — Adam Ismail, The Drive, 5 Aug. 2026 Confirm which pests are covered, what the cancellation terms are, and whether the service agreement spells out what’s included and excluded. — Jay Sparks, USA Today, 15 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spells out
  1. explains
  2. illustrates
  3. clarifies
  4. demonstrates
Verb
  • By comparison, strong fluid flows elongated the cells and caused DNA damage, a crucial control detail that explains why past experiments might have yielded misleading results.
    — Stefanie Waldek, Space.com, 29 Sep. 2026
  • But New York always had allure, the Midwest native author explains to PEOPLE.
    — Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of explains
Verb
  • Turkheimer said the apparent mistake illustrates how the complexities of statutes of limitations can undermine the fundamental premise of the justice system.
    — Tim Stelloh, NBC news, 2 Oct. 2026
  • One transaction illustrates how the operation allegedly worked.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of illustrates
Verb
  • The final version — which has Beutner’s approval — clarifies that small schools or small school districts can pool their money to share an arts teacher, provided that every school gets the additional arts instruction.
    — Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Haddad clarifies that vinyl itself doesn’t rust, which means that any visible rust on the siding is coming from something else.
    — The Spruce, The Spruce, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of clarifies
Verb
  • This exhibit demonstrates how more than 600 muscles fuel human movement.
    — Emma Hall October 3, Sacbee.com, 3 Oct. 2026
  • As Applied Aerospace strips out IPO charges over the next two quarters, demonstrates its capital-light operating leverage, and starts collecting cash on its backlog, the valuation gap will likely compress.
    — Harvey Stober, CNBC, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of demonstrates

Browse Nearby Words

spells
spells out
spence
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Cite this Entry

“Spells out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spells%20out. Accessed 5 Oct. 2026.

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