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
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Airlines around the world have been forced to cancel flights through multiple cities in the area, affecting thousands of global travelers.—
Karla Cripps,
CNN Money,
2 Mar. 2026 -
Snowstorms in January and February disrupted oil refinery operations and production, affecting pricing.—
Washington Examiner Staff,
The Washington Examiner,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Senate Majority Leader John Thune said the Senate GOP is not united on forcing Democrats to commit to a talking filibuster to pass the voter ID bill.—
Burgess Everett,
semafor.com,
2 Mar. 2026
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Verini sits in on Friedmann’s trial, and explores his possible motives, talking to his friends and family members.—
David Remnick,
New Yorker,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Matt Bennett, co-founder of Third Way, said the organization of moderate Democrats plans to meet repeatedly as the next presidential campaign approaches, convening people who will be influencing and working for Democratic candidates.—
Meg Kinnard,
Fortune,
3 Mar. 2026
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One of my findings is that the sheer number of people who’ve cycled through prisons over the past 40 years is influencing election outcomes.—
Kevin B. Smith,
The Conversation,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Strike a balance between impressing your friends with your culinary skills and tablescape prowess and outsourcing dishes and being flexible—no formal dining room necessary.—
Cameron Beall,
Southern Living,
27 Feb. 2026
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Bericoto continues impressing One notable inclusion in Friday’s lineup was 24-year-old Victor Bericoto, who entered the day 3-for-5 during Cactus League play with one home run and three RBIs.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Cross-border redemption is driving over-redemption, negatively impacting all bottlers by driving up expenses for many — including Primo Brands — with its 2025 redemption rate exceeding its CT sales by nearly 42 million beverage containers.—
Sean Krofssik,
Hartford Courant,
2 Mar. 2026
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Whoever comes out on top, both are key players in the push towards a new future of humanoid robotics impacting workforces worldwide.—
Chris Young,
Interesting Engineering,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Blair is at the center of a lawsuit involving allegations that Virginia school officials made decisions about Blair's well-being and gender identity without informing the then-14-year-old's parents.—
Ayana Archie,
NPR,
24 Feb. 2026
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Late last night, New Yorkers received an emergency alert last night, informing them that there’s a driving ban.—
Peter White,
Deadline,
23 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Caleb Crawford was convicted in 2016 of inappropriately touching his 12-year-old cousin.—
Harriet Ramos,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
3 Mar. 2026
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Global benchmark Brent crude is up 8% to over $84 a barrel, touching a fresh 52-week high.—
Jim Cramer,
CNBC,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Partial eclipses — when some of the full moon enters the umbra — can be striking events, but at no point does the lunar surface look reddish.—
Jamie Carter,
Space.com,
27 Feb. 2026
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Pair them with the matching hoodie for an easy monochromatic look that works especially well for travel, striking that rare balance between comfort and style.—
Lauren Dana Ellman,
Travel + Leisure,
27 Feb. 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 5 Mar. 2026.
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