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
  • The event featured Georgia's congressional, Senate, House, and gubernatorial candidates discussing key economic issues affecting the state and nation.
    — Riley Bunch, AJC.com, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Radio got hit with a double whammy of bad news last week, affecting both AM and FM bands.
    — Richard Wagoner, Daily News, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of affecting
Verb
  • The boy wasn’t talking, unlike other toddlers his age who are typically using simple words and phrases.
    — Jackie Mader, Washington Post, 8 Aug. 2026
  • But Democratic primary voters aren’t talking to GOP strategists.
    — David Weigel, semafor.com, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of talking
Verb
  • Artificial intelligence and the data center boom are influencing many things across Georgia, ranging from politics and technology to debates over energy, water consumption and land use.
    — Zachary Hansen, AJC.com, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Taiwan's government said Hsu's case involved gaining intelligence for mainland China and influencing Taiwanese politics.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of influencing
Verb
  • Much of the information employers consider originates outside the organization and may pass through several sources or intermediaries before informing an employment decision.
    — Alonzo Martinez, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
  • The findings from these types of exercises are important for informing where an organization could improve.
    — Matthew Kayser, USA Today, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of informing
Verb
  • The crowd cheered at the joke as Duff laughed on stage, clearly impressing fans with her NBA knowledge.
    — Kaitlyn McCormick, USA Today, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Those skills are put to similar use in Tony, in which Bourdain travels to Provincetown on a whim in hopes of impressing a girl (Emilia Jones) by lying about receiving a fellowship to write a novel.
    — Tommy McArdle, PEOPLE, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of impressing
Verb
  • Shavers advocates for practitioners to shape decisions, including AI implementation, to ensure truth and prevent errors from impacting defendants and victims.
    — Lars Daniel, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Here’s how the cost of credit is impacting homebuyers, and what veteran buyers can do about it.
    — Sharon Wu, USA Today, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of impacting
Verb
  • The Anza-Borrego Foundation doesn’t want the high-voltage lines touching any portion of the park.
    — Rob Nikolewski, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Aug. 2026
  • After the pod places the package on the ground, the patient can collect it without touching the drone or the delivery pod.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of touching
Verb
  • The Houthis are one of several Iranian proxies that have threatened to widen the conflict with the rebel group striking commercial shipping and recently ramping up attacks targeting Saudi Arabia.
    — Ibrahim Dahman, CNN Money, 9 Aug. 2026
  • The Groton Police Department were dispatched to the scene after several emergency calls came into Groton Emergency Dispatch regarding an evading black SUV striking Tanta-Quidgeon and leaving the scene, according to the Groton Police Department.
    — Sean Krofssik, Hartford Courant, 9 Aug. 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 15 Aug. 2026.

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