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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
  • The discovery explains why attempts in the past to develop hindbrain neurons from ectoderm stem cells failed – those cells had already been locked in as forebrain or midbrain neurons.
    — Mike McRae September 21, New Atlas, 22 Sep. 2026
  • First runner-up was Italian director Paolo Strippoli’s The Spiral, in which a woman’s estranged mother shows up on her doorstep with a sinister story that explains an incident in their past.
    — Glenn Garner, Deadline, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of explains
Verb
  • If the other jurors’ account of the holdout is accurate, the episode illustrates the other side of jury nullification, a familiar feature of American criminal justice.
    — Monu Bedi, Chicago Tribune, 20 Sep. 2026
  • In its strongest moments, the film illustrates how the often contradictory desires for individual liberation and family connection are universal experiences.
    — Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of illustrates
Verb
  • The new guidance clarifies that the mandatory testing would initially apply to only male service members.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 18 Sep. 2026
  • The new guidance clarifies that the mandatory testing initially would apply to only male service members.
    — Konstantin Toropin, Los Angeles Times, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of clarifies
Verb
  • The study demonstrates the road transport of antiprotons trapped in BASE-STEP.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 19 Sep. 2026
  • Doing so demonstrates that the company’s leader understands AI’s importance to the bottom line.
    — Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 18 Sep. 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 23 Sep. 2026.

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