TELLING (ON) Synonyms: 85 Similar and Opposite Words

telling (on)

verb

Definition of telling (on)

present participle of tell (on)

as in affecting

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

as in talking

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 telling (on)

Verb

That can be normal in venture, where deals are attributed to top partners, but seems to be affecting women more.

— Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune, 19 Oct. 2026
At the same time, Harris, closer in age to his part than the women, moves and sounds like the old cowboys, with an affecting note of sorrow — the lion dying, and dying with regrets — sounding throughout his performance.

— Sara Holdren, Vulture, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of affecting

Verb

In the letter, Omar's attorneys accused the Justice Department of violating longstanding agency policy designed to avoid potentially influencing an election.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 18 Oct. 2026
El Niño occurs when sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean become warmer than average, influencing atmospheric circulation and weather patterns worldwide.

— Gregory Padgett, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of influencing

Verb

The mass sampling and real-time information gathering on prediction markets can extend their utility to informing business decisions, according to Zitzewitz.

— Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 19 Oct. 2026
Intarsia cashmere, combinations of leather and chiffon, and silk knitwear are areas of interest, with softness and lightness informing the broader wardrobe.

— Ryma Chikhoune, Footwear News, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of informing

Verb

After stepping into a bigger role with most of the Heat’s rotation regulars out and impressing in Saturday night’s preseason loss to the Timberwolves, Conwell again made some positive plays on Wednesday.

— Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 15 Oct. 2026
The interior walls are patterned with motifs ranging from grapevines to geometric forms made by impressing food containers into the concrete.

— Tim Hornyak, New York Times, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of impressing

Verb

One company might allow isolating employee endpoints automatically but require human approval before touching production.

— Asaf Wiener, Forbes.com, 16 Oct. 2026
Two employees did not wash their hands and/or change gloves in between touching personal phones and going back to food preparation.

— Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of touching

Verb

Surveillance video of the incident reviewed by ABC News appears to show the ICE vehicle moving in the direction of a man running and then striking him.

— ABC News, ABC News, 16 Oct. 2026
Others spoke of police chokeholds and the grainy footage that showed officers striking King with batons.

— David Zahniser, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of striking

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.

Browse Nearby Words

telling off

telling (on)

tell (of)

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Telling (on).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/telling%20%28on%29. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of telling (on)

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

puissant

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Oct. 23

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes