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
-
Economic anxiety is also affecting perceptions of job security.—
Martha McHardy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Oct. 2025 -
Based on the Peter Straub novel of the same name, John Irvin's chilly and affecting Ghost Story is cloaked in snow, leather, and firelight.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
18 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The group runs through rapid-fire questions about what stood out and what is coming around the corner after four concentrated days on the Croisette talking business and international distribution.—
Cynthia Littleton,
Variety,
16 Oct. 2025
-
His business partner, Vahid (Vahid Mobbaseri), is upstairs on the phone, talking to a relative.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
16 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Stay tuned for more from today’s programming, like Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, the CEOs of Best Buy, Land O’Lakes, and Ulta Beauty, how the courts are influencing American business, and much, much more.—
Emma Hinchliffe,
Fortune,
14 Oct. 2025
-
Jon Devine, senior economist at Cotton Incorporated, keeps key stakeholders in the textile and investment communities informed via timely market analyses of commodity economics and factors influencing their stability.—
SJ Guest Editorial,
Sourcing Journal,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
In Season 1, Gillory was a janitor at the LAPD but become a full-time consultant after solving a murder case and impressing everyone with her IQ of 160.—
Jordan Moreau,
Variety,
13 Oct. 2025
-
Last year, after being drafted and impressing during preseason, Yakemchuk was sent back to the Calgary Hitmen of the Western Hockey League for more development.—
Julian McKenzie,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Advertisement More than 80% of croplands have been damaged or destroyed, the report continues, further impacting food security and the region’s ability to feed itself.—
Simmone Shah,
Time,
15 Oct. 2025
-
Strong westerly to northwesterly winds crossing Lake Erie can fuel lake-effect snow along the snowbelt, impacting cities such as Cleveland, Toledo, and Sandusky.—
Brandi D. Addison,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
15 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Sheriff’s officials said that Jaekel also asked one of the children for nude pictures of herself, and each of the four victims witnessed Jaekel inappropriately touching the other female family members.—
Rosalio Ahumada,
Sacbee.com,
17 Oct. 2025
-
Anything touching precious metals this year is red hot.—
Josh Brown,Sean Russo,
CNBC,
16 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Most people start by informing either their HR department or their direct supervisor.—
Jamie Ducharme,
Health,
17 Oct. 2025
-
But Schneider walked to the mound with every past conversation catalogued in his mind, with every lesson informing each step.—
Mitch Bannon,
New York Times,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Former Republican Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron, now CEO of the 1792 Exchange, said the parallels are striking.—
Kaelan Deese,
The Washington Examiner,
13 Oct. 2025
-
Branch reacted by striking the wideout in his facemask and knocking Smith-Schuster to the ground.—
Max Dible,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 Oct. 2025
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.
Cite this Entry
“Telling (on).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/telling%20%28on%29. Accessed 19 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share