telling (on)

verb

Definition of telling (on)next
present participle of tell (on)
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

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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)
  1. affecting
  2. talking
  3. influencing
  4. informing
  5. impressing
  6. impacting
  7. touching
  8. striking
Verb
  • Over time, these small issues add up, affecting both vehicle appearance and passenger comfort.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 13 July 2026
  • Honestly assessing whether an injury is affecting daily life and long-term well-being is part of recognizing one's physical limits.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 13 July 2026
Definition of affecting
Verb
  • Cholowsky visited Chicago for a few days in early June, talking to coaches and executives, hanging out with players and listening to Jerry Reinsdorf’s baseball stories.
    — Jon Greenberg, New York Times, 12 July 2026
  • Yet nobody could remember ever seeing the man in a cowboy hat before 2024, when he was spotted talking to residents about lawsuits against the local dump.
    — Rebecca Ellis, Los Angeles Times, 12 July 2026
Definition of talking
Verb
  • In fact, he could be credited for influencing the current streamlined, top-handle bag trend, the east-west—designed with the same tuck-under-your-arm spirit as the Le Teckel – which was present across the recent runway shows.
    — Alice Cary, Vogue, 13 July 2026
  • Concerns have also been raised about international stakeholders influencing the American media ecosystem.
    — Evelyn Ronan, Sacbee.com, 13 July 2026
Definition of influencing
Verb
  • Financing On Saturday, the NFL sent a memo to the other 31 teams informing their leadership about the deal.
    — Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico.com, 14 July 2026
  • Khalra’s investigation alleged that thousands of people who had disappeared were cremated anonymously by police without informing their families or maintaining official records.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 10 July 2026
Definition of informing
Verb
  • That has been Jordan Phillips’ norm every time the whistle blow during practices, and the Miami Dolphins’ second-year nose tackle isn’t focused on impressing his new coaches.
    — Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 10 July 2026
  • There, check out the Harbor View Cafe, which has been impressing visitors since 1980.
    — Katy Spratte Joyce, Travel + Leisure, 3 July 2026
Definition of impressing
Verb
  • One is now impacting the Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) building in Lodi.
    — Carmela Karcher, CBS News, 14 July 2026
  • This countered the favorable conditions previously established under the Reciprocity treaties and drove down the value of Hawaii’s sugar exports in the following years, negatively impacting the business owners.
    — Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 July 2026
Definition of impacting
Verb
  • But with returns fraud now touching nearly every corner of retail, the report argues that treating returns as a strategic problem, not just an operational headache, may be the only way to keep it from getting worse.
    — Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 13 July 2026
  • And thank you to James for touching all of our lives with your amazing light.
    — Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 12 July 2026
Definition of touching
Verb
  • One of the strongest super typhoons on the planet this year was striking the US Pacific Islands on Monday morning, the second massive storm to hit the territories since April.
    — Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 6 July 2026
  • Gomez's wedding guest dress also bore a striking resemblance to her 2025 Oscars dress, a custom off-the-shoulder piece by Ralph Lauren.
    — Chanel Vargas, InStyle, 5 July 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

“Telling (on).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/telling%20%28on%29. Accessed 18 Jul. 2026.

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Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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