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 city also hasn’t released a calculation of how many new units would be required if SB 79 ends up affecting 52 bus stops instead of four.—
David Garrick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
9 May 2026 -
Their prevalence is also expected to expand in 2026, according to the Companion Animal Parasite Council, which forecasts the prevalence of certain diseases affecting dogs across the United States with more than 94% accuracy.—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge,
USA Today,
9 May 2026
Verb
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Pharoah, best known for being a cast member of Saturday Night Live between 2010-2016, had been talking to Fox for a while about hosting a show.—
Peter White,
Deadline,
4 May 2026
-
Barack Obama liked talking to The New Yorker’s David Remnick.—
Max Tani,
semafor.com,
4 May 2026
Verb
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This leadership follows a congressional report showing foreign adversaries are actively influencing American academia — shining a spotlight on Indiana and Purdue University, in particular, as both a model for reform and a case study in risk.—
Joe Gebbia Sr,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Apr. 2026
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Recent research suggests the average B2B deal cycle is roughly 6 months, with 5–10 people often influencing the decision.—
Jason Phillips,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Snelling did not make the Marlins' opening-day roster despite impressing coaches during spring training.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
8 May 2026
-
Shortstop Colson Montgomery, 24, is excelling both offensively and defensively in his first full season, again impressing, in particular, with his power.—
Ken Rosenthal,
New York Times,
5 May 2026
Verb
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The top three issues impacting Californians are the rising cost of living, the climate and environmental justice crisis, and the erosion of our democracy.—
Linh Tat,
Oc Register,
4 May 2026
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Critics argue that hybrid working is negatively impacting productivity, an individual's work ethic and the wider economy as a whole.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
4 May 2026
Verb
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The passenger responded to an email from the ship’s operator informing passengers of the health event and checked himself in at a hospital.—
Janet Loehrke,
USA Today,
7 May 2026
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In addition to informing policymakers and expanding research resources to find out more about the genesis of these events, scientists say more public awareness that these events are even happening is key.—
Ella Nilsen,
CNN Money,
6 May 2026
Verb
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Sycamore examines her complicated relationship with her late grandmother Gladys, a renowned Baltimore artist, and begins by literally touching her paintings and collages.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Apr. 2026
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To protect yourself, the CDC encourages washing your hands after touching birds, anything in their habitat, and their eggs.—
Addy Bink,
The Hill,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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That Aldous Harding makes this impulse look easy without sacrificing any of the cleverness or creativity that makes her music so immediate is striking, to say the least.—
Nina Corcoran,
Pitchfork,
8 May 2026
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The gunmen exited a sedan and opened fire on the 31-year-old victim, striking him multiple times, but also striking the other two victims, police said.—
William Lee,
Chicago Tribune,
8 May 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 12 May. 2026.
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