TELLS Synonyms: 241 Similar and Opposite Words

tells

verb

Definition of tells next

present tense third-person singular of tell

as in describes

to give an oral or written account of in some detail they told the story of how they had met

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Relevance

as in says

to express (a thought or emotion) in words just tell us what is in your heart

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as in counts

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?

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as in informs

to give information to tell me, when did you begin playing the violin?

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as in instructs

to issue orders to (someone) by right of authority told us to sit still and wait

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as in reveals

to make known (as information previously kept secret) I won't tell your secret to anyone

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Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of tells The officer tells her that’s littering and asks her to step out of the car. —

Elizabeth Campbell, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 Mar. 2026 In a sign of strength for the streaming platform, Apple’s senior VP of services Eddy Cue tells The Hollywood Reporter that viewership for last week’s Australian Grand Prix was up year over year compared to the 2025 race, which aired on ESPN. —

Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 12 Mar. 2026 The Creature tells its story, and hearing its perspective allows a dying Victor to acknowledge his mistakes. —

Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Mar. 2026 The visual contrast tells the story of a career that has spanned generations. —

Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 12 Mar. 2026 Coach tells Chrissy that their old tribe (Which one? —

Brian Moylan, Vulture, 12 Mar. 2026 Former Trump economic adviser Stephen Moore tells NPR's Tamara Keith the president is betting that the conflict with Iran will be short, gas prices will soon drop and voters will forgive or forget. —

Brittney Melton, NPR, 12 Mar. 2026 The touring exhibit tells the story of Emmett Till, a 14-year-old African American boy from Chicago who was killed in Mississippi in 1955. —

Madison Dapcevich, Outside, 11 Mar. 2026 In this work, uniting across sectors and divides and amplifying stories of struggle that the world tells us to bury deep down inside are some of our most formidable superpowers. —

Literary Hub, 5 Mar. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for tells

Verb

Gourd-Mercado describes it as an exploration of the future of storytelling for Palestinian filmmakers — those based in Gaza, those in the diaspora, those born elsewhere but shaped by their identity.

— Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 10 Mar. 2026
Breakout voice skips the commentary Parnas, who describes himself as an independent reporter, had a breakout year in 2025.

— Jay Stahl, USA Today, 10 Mar. 2026