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 partisan divide over the Super Bowl halftime show is affecting Floridians’ viewing plans.—
Anthony Man,
Miami Herald,
8 Feb. 2026 -
Bad Bunny's political stance on issues affecting Puerto Rico, specifically, and the Latino community has been firm since the start.—
Pamela Avila,
USA Today,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Tenants speaking to the town council Monday said JRK initially directed them to use their renter’s insurance to pay for alternate lodging; the company later agreed to pay those expenses after talking with town officials.—
Staff Report,
Hartford Courant,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Smith thinks taxpayers should spend more time talking to their tax preparers about next year’s taxes.—
Daniel de Visé,
USA Today,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Housing, too, is a challenge with demand for vacation homes and rental properties influencing the market.—
Nushrat Rahman,
Freep.com,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Low snowpack meant reduced runoff across major watersheds, influencing water availability for agriculture, cities, and ecosystems downstream.—
Spencer Wilson,
CBS News,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Rye — and restaurants like it — are Dallas’ best shot at impressing Michelin.—
Sarah Blaskovich,
Dallas Morning News,
1 Feb. 2026
-
Meta shares spiked 10% after impressing analysts with robust results and quarterly revenue guidance on Wednesday.—
Jordan Novet,
CNBC,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
This is, of course, impacting snowpack in California’s mountains — snow that is a vital source of water for the state’s agriculture, recreation (ski tourism), and energy.—
Monica Garske,
USA Today,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Coffee can reduce inflammation, blood pressure and oxidative stress (the last of which can lead to cell and tissue damage), thus helpfully impacting many of the physical signs of aging, Kao said.—
Madeline Holcombe,
CNN Money,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Throughout the morning, Escobar shared a series of tweets informing the public of the airlift status.—
Robbie Farias,
Austin American Statesman,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Applicants will receive a letter in the mail before the end of March informing them whether or not they have been approved, according to the email.—
Aurora Beacon-News,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
There are shareable recipes, naturally, but also touching dedications to her family and anecdotes about the parties of her youth.—
The Bon Appétit,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Picture this, Boyle says, like the points of two ice cream cones touching each other, with their contact representing the big bang.—
Sarah Scoles,
Scientific American,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Adidas, Ben Sherman Adidas will showcase Team Great Britain’s competitive spirit through striking fonts and graphics — with an unexpected twist.—
Sandra Salibian,
Footwear News,
6 Feb. 2026
-
What is striking, many people go to these encounters to monitor them, to take pictures.—
Anne Applebaum,
The Atlantic,
6 Feb. 2026
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.
Cite this Entry
“Telling (on).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/telling%20%28on%29. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
