1
as in describes
to give an oral or written account of in some detail
they told the story of how they had met
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in says
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 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?
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in informs
to give information to
tell me, when did you begin playing the violin?
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in instructs
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 reveals
to make known (as information previously kept secret)
I won't tell your secret to anyone
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Rizo tells Ozzy about his Idol, cementing their polycule.
—
Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 2 Apr. 2026
The book, being published by Doubleday and Pan Macmillan, tells the true story of Zac Brettler, a London teenager who died under mysterious circumstances in 2019.
—Alex Ritman, Variety, 2 Apr. 2026
The president spent most of his first address to the nation about this war explaining why Iran was a threat, NPR's Deepa Shivaram tells Up First.
—Brittney Melton, NPR, 2 Apr. 2026
Practically every inch inside tells a story.
—Nikki Dementri, CBS News, 2 Apr. 2026
The final part tells the story of an outlaw who doesn’t set out to become a legend but ends up one anyway.
—Mars Salazar, Austin American Statesman, 2 Apr. 2026
While Mottola did appear on an Advertising Week panel discussion with Kates in 2013, a spokesperson for Kates tells Rolling Stone the two never went into business together.
—Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 2 Apr. 2026
In That Time When, Popular Science tells the weirdest, surprising, and little-known stories that shaped science, engineering, and innovation.
—Andrew Coletti, Popular Science, 26 Mar. 2026
Delaying the ordinance’s approval tells the community what Elgin officials actually think of protecting their rights, said Mari Elena, a member of the Resistencia Comunitaria Patrol Team, which responds to calls about ICE detentions to document federal agents’ actions.
—Gloria Casas, Chicago Tribune, 26 Mar. 2026
Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 2 Apr. 2026
The book, being published by Doubleday and Pan Macmillan, tells the true story of Zac Brettler, a London teenager who died under mysterious circumstances in 2019.
—Alex Ritman, Variety, 2 Apr. 2026
The president spent most of his first address to the nation about this war explaining why Iran was a threat, NPR's Deepa Shivaram tells Up First.
—Brittney Melton, NPR, 2 Apr. 2026
Practically every inch inside tells a story.
—Nikki Dementri, CBS News, 2 Apr. 2026
The final part tells the story of an outlaw who doesn’t set out to become a legend but ends up one anyway.
—Mars Salazar, Austin American Statesman, 2 Apr. 2026
While Mottola did appear on an Advertising Week panel discussion with Kates in 2013, a spokesperson for Kates tells Rolling Stone the two never went into business together.
—Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 2 Apr. 2026
In That Time When, Popular Science tells the weirdest, surprising, and little-known stories that shaped science, engineering, and innovation.
—Andrew Coletti, Popular Science, 26 Mar. 2026
Delaying the ordinance’s approval tells the community what Elgin officials actually think of protecting their rights, said Mari Elena, a member of the Resistencia Comunitaria Patrol Team, which responds to calls about ICE detentions to document federal agents’ actions.
—Gloria Casas, Chicago Tribune, 26 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tells
Verb
-
The post, shared by Reddit user No-Street-6651, describes a multi-stage interview process that included three rounds of interviews and a detailed six-page project for a marketing brand manager position.—
Darlin Tillery,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Bourne is the chair of the Yolo County’s chapter of Moms for Liberty, a nonprofit that describes itself as advocating for parental rights.—
Camryn Dadey,
Sacbee.com,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Residents living outside of those eight Southeast Michigan counties will also see fuel savings, Whitmer says, because those counties are already allowed to sell cheaper fuel blends without a waiver.—
Joseph Buczek,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
-
The goal, says co-founder Zach Lentsch, is to get those scorecards in the hands of every single resident hunter in the state.—
Natalie Krebs,
Outdoor Life,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
One text counts for one vote, and viewers can send up to 10 texts per contestant.—
Heather Bushman,
IndyStar,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Yes, our heroine is Mary Bennet, she of the off-key singing voice and affinity for vibe-killing piano concertos, a young woman who doesn’t care that men seldom make passes at girls who wear glasses and counts a day of being ignored by her family as a lucky escape from being mocked.—
Sophie Brookover,
Vulture,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Gavrilovska reflects on Pynchon’s long career and his interest in writing about systems, how his time as a technical writer at Boeing informs his work, his classic novels Gravity’s Rainbow and The Crying of Lot 49, and his new novel, Shadow Ticket.—
Fiction Non Fiction,
Literary Hub,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Luna, the latest in Norwegian’s Prima Plus Class, takes inspiration from space – a theme that informs the design, amenities and programming.—
Nathan Diller,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
In a routine step near the end of a flight, the air traffic controller handling approaches into LaGuardia instructs the pilots of Air Canada Express Flight 8646 pilots to contact the airport’s control tower, which will guide them the rest of the way.—
Michael R. Sisak,
Chicago Tribune,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Daisy instructs her to focus on making beds and forget the laundry, but Alesia can’t help herself from folding one million towels in the middle of the boat 40 minutes before the guest’s arrival.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The episode with Rachel’s parents reveals the key knowledge needed for the rest of the show.—
William Earl,
Variety,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Now, using the unmatched power of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), a new study reveals that the real reason behind this illusion is a self-sustaining loop driven by Saturn’s own auroras.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The film recounts the struggle of local communities to protect a fragile and vital ecosystem that also serves as their ancestral home.—
Stewart Clarke,
Deadline,
26 Mar. 2026
-
As Martin recounts in her 2023 coffee-table missive Mamma Milano, the brand’s ethereal ethos was there from the start.—
Ingrid Abramovitch,
Architectural Digest,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Wang — who speaks Italian at a B2, or upper intermediate level, and has four great-grandparents from Sicily — had already made an appointment to recognize her citizenship, so hoped she might be treated as a case in progress.—
Julia Buckley,
CNN Money,
28 Mar. 2026
-
That these bones were assessed as potentially centuries old speaks to the level of deterioration observed by investigators.—
Ryan Brennan,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
27 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tells.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tells. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
