tell

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as in to count
to find the sum of (a collection of things) by noting each one as it is being added who can tell the number of grains of sand in the world?

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Synonym Chooser

How does the verb tell differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of tell are betray, disclose, divulge, and reveal. While all these words mean "to make known what has been or should be concealed," tell implies an imparting of necessary or useful information.

told them what he had overheard

Where would betray be a reasonable alternative to tell?

While in some cases nearly identical to tell, betray implies a divulging that represents a breach of faith or an involuntary or unconscious disclosure.

a blush that betrayed her embarrassment

When would disclose be a good substitute for tell?

The words disclose and tell can be used in similar contexts, but disclose may imply a discovering but more often an imparting of information previously kept secret.

candidates must disclose their financial assets

When might divulge be a better fit than tell?

Although the words divulge and tell have much in common, divulge implies a disclosure involving some impropriety or breach of confidence.

refused to divulge an anonymous source

In what contexts can reveal take the place of tell?

The meanings of reveal and tell largely overlap; however, reveal may apply to supernatural or inspired revelation of truths beyond the range of ordinary human vision or reason.

divine will as revealed in sacred writings

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 tell Elsewhere, Arat tells Deadline a Greek remake of the series is in the works, while new markets are opening up. Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 1 July 2025 The Dolphins were taking Fitzpatrick, Grier told owner Steve Ross, then head coach Adam Gase and team czar Mike Tannenbaum. Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 1 July 2025 The percentage tells the public how much of the fire perimeter is believed to not go beyond the control lines. Ca Wildfire Bot, Sacbee.com, 1 July 2025 In summer 2001, he was told to quickly pack his bags as the sheriff was coming to evict them. Jan Goldsmith, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for tell
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tell
Verb
  • Strickland described the demand to CNBC as being through the roof.
    Lori Ann LaRocco, CNBC, 12 July 2025
  • The site is described as Yale University’s former Wright Nuclear Structures Laboratory at 268 Whitney Avenue, New Haven.
    Staff report, Hartford Courant, 12 July 2025
Verb
  • Officials say 27 campers and counselors died at Camp Mystic, including young girls from various states.
    Preston Fore, Fortune, 8 July 2025
  • The crash was reported shortly after 6:30 a.m. on June 28 at the intersection of West Taylor and Spring streets, San Jose police Officer Tanya Hernandez said in a news release.
    Jason Green, Mercury News, 8 July 2025
Verb
  • Best known for their gaming broadcasts and challenges, the cohort are among Twitch’s most prominent content groups and collectively counts tens of millions of followers across members’ respective channels.
    Noor Lobad, Footwear News, 5 July 2025
  • Senate Republicans argue that because the bill extends current tax law, those cuts shouldn't be counted.
    Jim Sergent, USA Today, 5 July 2025
Verb
  • Some of his friends are aware, and Mayer spoke with F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali to inform him of the campaign only the day prior, out of courtesy.
    Madeline Coleman, New York Times, 5 July 2025
  • The camp previously sent an email to families informing them of the situation, which was later shared by KEYE.
    David Chiu, People.com, 4 July 2025
Verb
  • Protesters were instructed to disperse before agents deployed what appeared to be tear-gas canisters and flash-bangs into the crowd, eventually breaking up the mob.
    Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 11 July 2025
  • Shoppers are instructed to return the product to any Walmart store for a full refund.
    MSNBC Newsweek, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 July 2025
Verb
  • Rather than pick up where Man of Steel left off, this sequel rewinds to Superman’s battle with Zod, revealing that none other than Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck) was caught up in the damage of the Kryptonian slugfest.
    Will Harris, EW.com, 11 July 2025
  • If someone deliberately feeds misleading or malicious information to the AI or manipulates the backend knowledge-base articles and context sources, the system could learn something harmful, behave incorrectly or even reveal fragments of private data later on.
    Khash Kiani, Forbes.com, 11 July 2025
Verb
  • The documentary, aired in February, is expected to be the subject of an excoriating internal review coming next week after it was narrated by the child of a Hamas minister.
    Max Goldbart, Deadline, 4 July 2025
  • Directed by Mike Tollin and narrated by Marlon Wayans, who portrayed George Raveling in 2023’s Air, the film chronicles the notable journey of the Hall of Fame basketball coach known for guiding the careers of several all-star players, including Michael Jordan.
    Brande Victorian, HollywoodReporter, 3 July 2025
Verb
  • Here to talk more about this is Tax Notes investigations editor Lauren Loricchio.
    Tax Notes Staff, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025
  • Sucked underground by an explosive whirlwind, DK must team up with a talking mineral named Odd Rock to prevent VoidCo from reaching the planet’s core, where legend says something has the power to grant wishes.
    Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 1 July 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Tell.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tell. Accessed 15 Jul. 2025.

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