TELLING (ON) Synonyms: 85 Similar and Opposite Words

telling (on)

verb

Definition of telling (on)

present participle of tell (on)

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

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

Aging networks face fresh scrutiny The outage came on the same day the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) published a report examining cybersecurity risks affecting aircraft communications and FAA systems.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 21 Sep. 2026
Iran media reports, however, suggest the shortages are far more wide-reaching, affecting everything from antidepressants to insulin and pregnancy medications.

— Leila Gharagozlou, CNN Money, 20 Sep. 2026

Definition of affecting

Verb

Meanwhile, Murphy’s staff had increasingly been talking internally about the need for members to support athlete labor rights and for college sports to have a players’ association, at the very least, if not a union.

— Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 24 Sep. 2026
Thomas, 56, of Algonquin, said in talking to voters, people in the district are concerned about taxes and safety.

— David Sharos, Chicago Tribune, 24 Sep. 2026

Definition of talking

Verb

The seed may have been employed as a painkiller or as a social and cultural practice still influencing its modern use.

— Devika Rao, TheWeek, 21 Sep. 2026
Omega-3s may help lower heart rate through their anti-inflammatory effects and by influencing the electrical signals in heart cells.

— Jillian Kubala, HEALTH, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of influencing

Verb

But in order to disguise what is afoot, in a party-line vote in both houses of the General Assembly, Democrats prescribed the precise language that must appear on the ballot informing the voters what Question 3 will do, if passed.

— Chris West, Baltimore Sun, 19 Sep. 2026
Human rights groups and United Nations officials have accused the Syrian government of widespread abuses in its detention facilities, including torture and arbitrary detention of thousands of people, in many cases without informing their families.

— ABC News, ABC News, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of informing

Verb

The third-round pick out of USC was one of the stars of Ravens training camp, impressing in practices and scoring a touchdown in the team’s first preseason game.

— Jeff Zrebiec, New York Times, 16 Sep. 2026
Granite Bay’s Isaiah Ene earns keep A four-year varsity starter at Granite Bay High in Placer County, Isaiah Ene earned his playing time in the opener after impressing coaches at running back in fall camp.

— Joe Davidson, Sacbee.com, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of impressing

Verb

In general, one of the main policies scrutinized for impacting businesses across the bloc is the European Union Emissions Trading System, or EU ETS, the EU’s primary climate change system.

— Sofia Celeste, Footwear News, 23 Sep. 2026
Both an aging circuit and its backup system failed earlier Monday, impacting the Philadelphia TRACON facility, which integrates radar approach control and air traffic control operations.

— Cindy Von Quednow, CNN Money, 21 Sep. 2026

Definition of impacting

Verb

The work that’s growing fastest is work done with people and with things — the kind AI is furthest from touching.

— Pat Gelsinger, Fortune, 19 Sep. 2026
The order set in motion efforts to revise or remove interpretive signs and other materials across national parks and federal sites, touching on subjects ranging from slavery and Indigenous history to climate change.

— Martin Goillandeau, CNN Money, 19 Sep. 2026

Definition of touching

Verb

The dining room is striking, accented with emerald green tiles, and the outdoor tables sit beneath hanging plants that turn the space into its own tropical enclave.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 26 Sep. 2026
Characterized by striking color palettes and graphic compositions, his images mix art, activism and popular culture.

— Andrea Onate, Footwear News, 25 Sep. 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)

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Style

“Telling (on).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/telling%20%28on%29. Accessed 26 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of telling (on)

verb

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