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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The smell masks the insects’ chemical signals, confusing the aphids and affecting their ability to find food.—
Michelle Mastro,
Martha Stewart,
7 Mar. 2026 -
But a remedy is still under development for the recall affecting the Escapes, Corsairs, Aviators and Explorers, the recall announcement notes.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
7 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
-
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
-
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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At its core, securing a listing is not about impressing an owner with accolades or confidence alone.—
Allen Buchanan,
Oc Register,
7 Mar. 2026
-
Now, Lombard, 20, is impressing early this spring, registering loud contact, making highlight reel plays at shortstop, second base and third base, and even homering off one of the best pitchers of the game, Garrett Crochet of the Boston Red Sox.—
Brendan Kuty,
New York Times,
6 Mar. 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
-
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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The woman is seen getting on her phone and informing the person on the other line that a student threatened to send his mother to assault her.—
Paula Wethington,
CBS News,
4 Mar. 2026
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The justices have been weighing whether to hear arguments in cases out of states like Massachusetts and Florida filed by other parents who say schools facilitated social transition without informing them.—
Lindsay Whitehurst,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Mar. 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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Iran’s semi-official Mehr News Agency has accused Israel of striking the airport.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
7 Mar. 2026
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Initial measurements suggested the object had a small but notable chance of striking Earth in the future.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Mar. 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 9 Mar. 2026.
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