1
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
2
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
-
The site posts news and commentary on climate change and other environmental issues affecting Florida.—
Dave Trecker,
The Orlando Sentinel,
19 Apr. 2026 -
On Saturday morning, around eight power outages in Belton were affecting just over 330 customers.—
Kendrick Calfee
Updated April 18,
Kansas City Star,
18 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Is there an art to talking to famous people who are famously stoic about their personal life and famously put up boundaries everywhere?—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
20 Apr. 2026
-
There’s Larry Gagosian talking with Richard Serra with Tony Shafrazi in front of them.—
Jerry Saltz,
Vulture,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Jon Devine, senior economist at Cotton Incorporated, keeps key stakeholders in the textile and investment communities informed via timely market analyses of commodity economics and factors influencing their stability.—
SJ Guest Editorial,
Footwear News,
13 Apr. 2026
-
Known for sporting towering hats with Atlanta iconography, Robinson has spent 23 years influencing downtown’s development and sense of community.—
Zachary Hansen,
AJC.com,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Modern extremists aren’t known for their love of Broadway, but a song about impressing a girl by killing a president takes on new meaning when sung from the lips of a social media loner.—
Charles Lewis III,
Mercury News,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Drasner, a lawyer by trade, joined The News several years after impressing real estate magnate and publisher Mort Zuckerman during a court case where Drasner was representing the opposition.—
Leonard Greene,
New York Daily News,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
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For more stories impacting the rare disease community like this, sign up for the CNBC Cures newsletter by clicking here.—
Brad Quick,
CNBC,
20 Apr. 2026
-
As modeled by the bureau, if critically dry years continue, Powell and Mead will more often fall so low that their hydropower plants will become unusable, impacting power availability for more than 1 million people.—
Elise Schmelzer,
Denver Post,
19 Apr. 2026
Verb
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In a surprising move, the club took accountability for not informing Woods earlier and gave him a two-stroke penalty while many felt he should have been disqualified entirely.—
Skyler Trepel,
PEOPLE,
10 Apr. 2026
-
The one-mile loop is located in the East District and features educational signs informing visitors about the area’s history and flora, an old homestead foundation, and a saguaro grove.—
Lydia Mansel,
Travel + Leisure,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
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One of the officers appears to be touching the driver’s side window when the car begins to back up and turn, hitting a vehicle behind it.—
Nicole Acevedo,
NBC news,
14 Apr. 2026
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Cook until a thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thigh, without touching the bone, registers 165 degrees, about 30 minutes.—
Lynda Balslev,
Mercury News,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Investigators say the suspects used the same method in each case, striking when homeowners were away and stealing large amounts of cash and jewelry.—
Abby Dodge,
CBS News,
18 Apr. 2026
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The contrast between 2009 and what’s happened over the past 16 months — as the city deals with its biggest budget headaches since Sanders was mayor — is striking.—
U T Editorial Board,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
18 Apr. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Telling (on).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/telling%20%28on%29. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.
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