as in convincing
having the power to persuade
presented us with telling evidence that convinced us he was right
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in describing
to give an oral or written account of in some detail
they told the story of how they had met
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in saying
to express (a thought or emotion) in words
just tell us what is in your heart
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in counting
to find the sum of (a collection of things) by noting each one as it is being added
who can tell the number of grains of sand in the world?
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in informing
to give information to
tell me, when did you begin playing the violin?
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in instructing
to issue orders to (someone) by right of authority
told us to sit still and wait
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in disclosing
to make known (as information previously kept secret)
I won't tell your secret to anyone
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of telling
John Davie,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
How Emma Chamberlain Shocked Even Herself Perhaps the most telling detail from Chamberlain’s press tour is just how much the experience caught her off guard.
—
Hanna Wickes,
Miami Herald,
8 Apr. 2026
J.m. Banks
june 29,
Kansas City Star,
29 June 2026
The market is telling us that years of heavy spending and elevated leverage before a payoff AND a higher-for-longer rate environment on an already capital-intensive, debt-heavy telecom business is just too much to bear.
—
Josh Brown,sean Russo,
CNBC,
29 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for telling
Adjective
But perhaps the most telling signal is that only 9% of workers, the people closest to the decisions, data and consequences, trust AI for complex, business-critical decisions.
—
John Davie,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
How Emma Chamberlain Shocked Even Herself Perhaps the most telling detail from Chamberlain’s press tour is just how much the experience caught her off guard.
—
Hanna Wickes,
Miami Herald,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
Today, preserving that history increasingly relies on museums, public art, interpretive markers and community institutions that continue telling those stories.
—
J.m. Banks
june 29,
Kansas City Star,
29 June 2026
The market is telling us that years of heavy spending and elevated leverage before a payoff AND a higher-for-longer rate environment on an already capital-intensive, debt-heavy telecom business is just too much to bear.
—
Josh Brown,sean Russo,
CNBC,
29 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for telling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for telling
Adjective
-
During its convincing 3-0 win over Haiti, which followed a 1-1 draw with Morocco, Brazil lost one of its top forwards when Raphinha sustained a hamstring injury.
-
The Remi cover at the very end took a bit more convincing.
Verb
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Scientists think this macromolecular (meaning large) complex carbon, could hold evidence that ancient microbial life once existed in the same sedimentary material, according to one new paper describing these observations.
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Crane offered a similar read, describing the collection as both new and familiar — the kind of pieces that could believably have been thrifted from a Venice Beach shop, even as fabrications like Terry and slub cotton give them a softer, more contemporary hand.
Verb
-
Alicent mistakenly believed Viserys was talking about their son Aegon II, saying Aegon II should be on the throne after Viserys dies, which lead to the Dance of the Dragons civil war.
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In days past, saying that communism was a mistake would have earned the artist a one-way ticket to Siberia.
Verb
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Discussions on workforce capacity often arbitrarily stop counting at age 64, despite concerns over talent shortages and aging populations.
-
But one video posted to social media that appears to show a young man wielding a machete and counting down to the deadline has put migrants like Nyirenda on edge.
Verb
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Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick sent a letter Tuesday informing Anthropic co-founder Tom Brown of the decision, citing Anthropic’s close coordination and cooperation with government officials to address risks associated with its models.
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On May 14, a day after students created a San José State University for Gaza encampment, university officials sent a letter to Kil informing her she had been placed on administrative leave.
Verb
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Abdikerm Eidleh Investigators allege Eidleh personally collected $5 million in bribes and kickbacks after instructing restaurants and catering businesses to inflate receipts submitted to the Minnesota Department of Education for reimbursement.
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The father of two teens of his own did just that, instructing Buchanan to call 911 and Slowey to take pictures.
Verb
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The Executive Residence is exempt from rules that require federal agencies to solicit competitive bids and from disclosing details from the public, according to the Post.
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Charles reveals tax bill By law, the British king is not obliged to pay income, capital gains or inheritance tax, but Charles, like his mother did after 1993, has voluntarily done so without disclosing the amounts.
Adjective
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Ellroy’s latest is another compelling entry in his ongoing project.
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The Best Opportunities Look Worst Near Maximum Value Opportunity often feels least attractive when the valuation is most compelling.
Cite this Entry
“Telling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/telling. Accessed 1 Jul. 2026.
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