1
as in to affect
to act upon (a person or a person's feelings) so as to cause a response
the pressure of final exams is beginning to tell on the students in the dorm
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to talk
to give information (as to the authorities) about another's improper or unlawful activities
detectives convinced the perpetrators in custody to tell on their associates
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tell (on)
Verb
-
The change quickly affected players.—
Cal Phillips
June 19,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
20 June 2026 -
Today’s food environment and gaps in health education affect children across the socioeconomic spectrum.—
Jordan Schriver,
The Orlando Sentinel,
19 June 2026
Verb
-
There were cartoons while dressing children, evening news while cooking dinner, and, before bed, families watched mutely as onscreen families laughed and talked.—
Molly Fischer,
New Yorker,
15 June 2026
-
Sehic said there were many people at the restaurant at the time, and said Campbell was talking to someone else at the bar when he was approached by Harakh.—
Neal Riley,
CBS News,
15 June 2026
Verb
-
Brain imaging studies have also shown placebo responses can influence stress pathways, hormone activity, immune responses and chemicals tied to mood and pain regulation.—
Daryl Austin,
USA Today,
18 June 2026
-
The Athletic has been told that is influenced by strict limits, regulated by the communications services watchdog OFCOM, on how many adverts and how many total minutes of advertising ITV can show.—
Tom Burrows,
New York Times,
17 June 2026
Verb
-
But another four or five weeks of games can inform Weiss and Anthopoulos’ own answer.—
Ken Sugiura,
AJC.com,
16 June 2026
-
McGregor Scott, Williamson’s attorney, said he had not been informed of any other investigations involving his client.—
Lia Russell,
Sacbee.com,
16 June 2026
Verb
-
News that his son uses his dad's popular acting roles to impress the girls in his class.—
Brenton Blanchet,
PEOPLE,
15 June 2026
-
With little money or reputation, Griffin often hired inexperienced people who had impressed him in interviews, including Yeh, a graduate student in theoretical physics, and Beeson, a cop’s son who had studied accounting on a scholarship at DePaul.—
Gary Sernovitz,
New Yorker,
15 June 2026
Verb
-
Earth-impacting shrapnel from those primordial upheavals may have helped seed our planet with the precursors for life, delivering water and organic compounds from the dark, icy depths of the outer solar system.—
Lee Billings,
Scientific American,
18 June 2026
-
Proactive safety strategies significantly reduce direct and indirect costs, which can be four to eight times higher than direct expenses, impacting operational downtime and productivity.—
Sentry Insurance,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2026
Verb
-
Sensory gardens with calming nature sounds, plants kids are welcome to touch and benches are available to help guests reset in a less stimulating environment.—
Eve Chen,
USA Today,
19 June 2026
-
On June 10, Mastercard launched Agent Pay for Machines, a payment layer for the high-frequency, low-value transactions machines run — the fractions of a cent traditional cards can't touch.—
Renana Ashkenazi,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
Verb
-
Lightning can strike 10 miles away from a thunderstorm.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
19 June 2026
-
The argument escalated into gunfire, which struck the man, Becchina said.—
Caroline Zimmerman,
Kansas City Star,
19 June 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Tell (on).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tell%20%28on%29. Accessed 23 Jun. 2026.
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