telling 1 of 2

adjective

ˈte-liŋ How to pronounce telling (audio)
Definition of tellingnext
as in convincing
having the power to persuade presented us with telling evidence that convinced us he was right

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

telling

2 of 2

verb

present participle of tell
1
as in describing
to give an oral or written account of in some detail they told the story of how they had met

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2
as in saying
to express (a thought or emotion) in words just tell us what is in your heart

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in counting
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?

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4
as in informing
to give information to tell me, when did you begin playing the violin?

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in instructing
to issue orders to (someone) by right of authority told us to sit still and wait

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in disclosing
to make known (as information previously kept secret) I won't tell your secret to anyone

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word telling different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of telling are cogent, convincing, sound, and valid. While all these words mean "having such force as to compel serious attention and usually acceptance," telling stresses an immediate and crucial effect striking at the heart of a matter.

a telling example of bureaucratic waste

When would cogent be a good substitute for telling?

Although the words cogent and telling have much in common, cogent may stress either weight of sound argument and evidence or lucidity of presentation.

the prosecutor's cogent summation won over the jury

When is it sensible to use convincing instead of telling?

The synonyms convincing and telling are sometimes interchangeable, but convincing suggests a power to overcome doubt, opposition, or reluctance to accept.

a convincing argument for welfare reform

When is sound a more appropriate choice than telling?

The words sound and telling can be used in similar contexts, but sound implies a basis of flawless reasoning or of solid grounds.

a sound proposal for reviving the economy

Where would valid be a reasonable alternative to telling?

While the synonyms valid and telling are close in meaning, valid implies being supported by objective truth or generally accepted authority.

a valid reason for being absent
a valid marriage

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 telling
Adjective
And Georgia Tech running all over Florida State last year was the most telling Week 0 precursor yet. —Stewart Mandel, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2025 One of the most telling examples involved the Boca View Condominium Association, which asked the Florida Supreme Court to take up an appeal of its trial court loss stemming from a 2019 records inspection request. —Laura Manning-Hudson, Miami Herald, 13 Aug. 2025
Verb
The act of telling a story becomes, in itself, an act of survival and resistance. —Leila Latif, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2025 Elisa ultimately does this much more by telling than showing, resulting in a movie that has a lot to say but never makes its message memorable enough. —Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 5 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for telling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for telling
  1. convincing
  2. describing
  3. saying
  4. counting
  5. informing
  6. instructing
  7. disclosing
  8. compelling
Adjective
  • Moreno said Echevarría’s lawyers failed to provide convincing evidence that Expedia Group facilitated the bookings and that the holding company could not be held liable for the actions of its subsidiary.
    — Nora Gamez Torres, Miami Herald, 8 Sep. 2025
  • Their good cop-bad cop ploy doesn’t seem to be particularly convincing or even fear-inspiring to the suspects of the congregation.
    — Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 8 Sep. 2025
Definition of convincing
Verb
  • Soliman fled to the United States in 2014 on a visitor visa and later filed a petition for asylum, describing how security forces over the years had locked him up on false charges and tortured him with electrical shocks.
    — Hannah Allam, ProPublica, 10 Sep. 2025
  • The aging brick walls, high arched wooden ceiling and original decorative elements of the Renaissance-era building provided quite a contrast with speakers who were describing the latest in present and future technologies.
    — Anthony DeMarco, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Definition of describing
Verb
  • The pre-authorization letters included a line saying payment was not guaranteed, but Sutton-Schulman didn’t think much of it.
    — Duaa Eldeib, ProPublica, 10 Sep. 2025
  • The share of businesses saying that lack of transparency was hindering operations fell by 12 percentage points to 16%.
    — Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 10 Sep. 2025
Definition of saying
Verb
  • Teams had been 53-0 since 2000, counting playoffs, when leading by 15 points and taking possession with 8-10 minutes left in regulation, per TruMedia.
    — Mike Sando, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2025
  • Under Nathaniel Hackett’s 15-game watch of fans counting down the play clock, a player cursing out his quarterback, and teammates shoving one another on the sidelines and punching opponents, the sheer disconnect was comedic and horrifying.
    — Joe Nguyen, Denver Post, 7 Sep. 2025
Definition of counting
Verb
  • These measurements are fundamental to understanding how greenhouse gas emissions relate to rising temperatures, simultaneously contributing to scientific research and informing policymakers of compliance with environmental regulations.
    — Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 6 Sep. 2025
  • The residents of Leith, North Dakota, did this by creating a website informing people about what was happening in their community.
    — Paul J. Becker, The Conversation, 5 Sep. 2025
Definition of informing
Verb
  • Waving a magic wand and instructing a client to avoid AI at all costs, well, that could be a costly endeavor to the person and potentially a near impossibility.
    — Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
  • The governor said that her administration has issued a bulletin to the state’s health insurers instructing them to continue to provide insurance coverage for vaccines recommended by the Department of Public Health and not just those approved by the CDC.
    — Matthew Medsger, Boston Herald, 4 Sep. 2025
Definition of instructing
Verb
  • One official added that a few large pharmaceutical company CEOs have told the administration to take action on drug advertising, without disclosing the names of specific firms.
    — Annika Kim Constantino, CNBC, 9 Sep. 2025
  • Walls and other economists’ research has shown that disclosing climate risks results in lower home prices, but that buyers are willing to pay more for safer properties.
    — Bloomberg, Oc Register, 9 Sep. 2025
Definition of disclosing
Adjective
  • Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
    — Daniel S. Levine, PEOPLE, 5 Sep. 2025
  • By the '90s, hip-hop cemented itself as a mainstream mainstay, and the artists' compelling music videos brought the culture to new heights.
    — Taylor Ardrey, USA Today, 5 Sep. 2025
Definition of compelling

Browse Nearby Words

tellies
telling
telling (of)
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Cite this Entry

“Telling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/telling. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.

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