as in convincing
having the power to persuade
presented us with telling evidence that convinced us he was right
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in describing
to give an oral or written account of in some detail
they told the story of how they had met
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in saying
to express (a thought or emotion) in words
just tell us what is in your heart
Synonyms & Similar Words
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?
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in informing
to give information to
tell me, when did you begin playing the violin?
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in instructing
to issue orders to (someone) by right of authority
told us to sit still and wait
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in disclosing
to make known (as information previously kept secret)
I won't tell your secret to anyone
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of telling
John Davie,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
How Emma Chamberlain Shocked Even Herself Perhaps the most telling detail from Chamberlain’s press tour is just how much the experience caught her off guard.
—
Hanna Wickes,
Miami Herald,
8 Apr. 2026
Michelle Sobel,
Fortune,
23 June 2026
That’s what the market is telling us.
—
Vincent Z. Mercogliano,
New York Times,
23 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for telling
Adjective
But perhaps the most telling signal is that only 9% of workers, the people closest to the decisions, data and consequences, trust AI for complex, business-critical decisions.
—
John Davie,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
How Emma Chamberlain Shocked Even Herself Perhaps the most telling detail from Chamberlain’s press tour is just how much the experience caught her off guard.
—
Hanna Wickes,
Miami Herald,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
But what nobody is telling you is that experiencing these small moments of friction is essential to your career success.
—
Michelle Sobel,
Fortune,
23 June 2026
That’s what the market is telling us.
—
Vincent Z. Mercogliano,
New York Times,
23 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for telling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for telling
Adjective
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During its convincing 3-0 win over Haiti, which followed a 1-1 draw with Morocco, Brazil lost one of its top forwards when Raphinha sustained a hamstring injury.
-
The Remi cover at the very end took a bit more convincing.
Verb
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Scientists think this macromolecular (meaning large) complex carbon, could hold evidence that ancient microbial life once existed in the same sedimentary material, according to one new paper describing these observations.
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Crane offered a similar read, describing the collection as both new and familiar — the kind of pieces that could believably have been thrifted from a Venice Beach shop, even as fabrications like Terry and slub cotton give them a softer, more contemporary hand.
Verb
-
Alicent mistakenly believed Viserys was talking about their son Aegon II, saying Aegon II should be on the throne after Viserys dies, which lead to the Dance of the Dragons civil war.
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In days past, saying that communism was a mistake would have earned the artist a one-way ticket to Siberia.
Verb
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The findings also said that there were at least 39 adults at Camp Mystic's Guadalupe-adjacent camp — not counting the teenage counselors — who could have performed an orderly flood evacuation had one been planned and executed.
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Oh, and that’s not counting a potential $70,000 in citation revenue from drivers who overstay their time.
Verb
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Sources tell Deadline that producers and director Denis Villeneuve have begun informing talent who have made the next round of auditions, which will occur later this summer.
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The administration also argued that American hostilities in Iran already had already terminated, pointing to a May 1 memo that the president sent to lawmakers informing them the conflict was over.
Verb
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Abdikerm Eidleh Investigators allege Eidleh personally collected $5 million in bribes and kickbacks after instructing restaurants and catering businesses to inflate receipts submitted to the Minnesota Department of Education for reimbursement.
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The father of two teens of his own did just that, instructing Buchanan to call 911 and Slowey to take pictures.
Verb
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The partners aren’t disclosing financial details.
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Earlier Friday, Friedrich had denied Biden's bid to stop the Justice Department from disclosing the material to the Heritage Foundation.
Adjective
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Canada’s tournament has offered a different, but equally compelling example of home-field advantage.
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This wasn’t the most compelling matchup at the beginning of the tournament, but chaos has tipped the scales in our favor.
Cite this Entry
“Telling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/telling. Accessed 27 Jun. 2026.
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