tells (on)

verb

present tense third-person singular of tell (on)
1
as in influences
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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in talks
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 tells (on)
  1. influences
  2. talks
  3. affects
  4. informs
  5. impresses
  6. impacts
  7. touches
Verb
  • Studies such as Edelman's annual Trust Barometer and PwC's Trust Survey showcase how trust influences organizational performance, customer confidence and long-term relationships.
    — ByPaul L. Gunn, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026
  • As the following charts will show, a more accurate way to describe it is that the short-end of the Treasury curve heavily influences the Fed funds rate.
    — Todd Gordon, CNBC, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of influences
Verb
  • And the conversations between Anna and Molly, Ella and Julia (Ella’s friend and a counterpart of Molly), as well as the stammering and declaiming when Anna talks to herself, are almost always about men.
    — Cynthia Zarin, Harpers Magazine, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Trump later told reporters at the White House after his post on Truth Social that talks with Iran were taking place.
    — Dennis Romero, NBC news, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of talks
Verb
  • But further advances are complicated because the area is an organized crime risk, which affects investment and insurance policies.
    — Ian Dexter Palmer, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Wu said that the fungus mostly affects patients with severe underlying medical conditions who require complex medical care.
    — Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of affects
Verb
  • The word algebra derives from the al-jabr in this title, which, by extension, also informs the word algorithm.
    — Jan Tumlir, Artforum, 5 Aug. 2026
  • An analysis of the demand for different majors among applicants is one input that informs the school’s course adjustments, officials said.
    — Tarini Mehta, Sacbee.com, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of informs
Verb
  • Listing just seven items on the menu, Sehzade Cag Kebap impresses with simplicity, outstanding flavors, and efficient service.
    — CNT Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Photography by Venetia Scott impresses itself on you like that—an entire aesthetic world, made by an ultra-discreet British fashion photographer-polymath who lives and works at the end of a quiet street in North Kensington.
    — Sarah Mower, Architectural Digest, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of impresses
Verb
  • His search for answers impacts everyone closest to him including his daughter (Odessa A’zion), and his wife (Bitsie Tulloch) as Tom is forced to confront grief, faith and the possibility of second chances.
    — Anthony D'Alessandro, Deadline, 7 Aug. 2026
  • By integrating personalized domain extensions early in their tech development cycle, organizations can position the domain as a foundational asset that impacts market perception and revenue generation.
    — Matt Overman, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of impacts
Verb
  • Failure Becoming More Expensive States have begun regulating how AI touches coverage and care decisions, and scrutiny is coming for any system that influences a clinical or financial outcome.
    — Fawad Butt, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Also, chief data analyst Steve Kornacki is launching The Data Dive, a subscriber-exclusive newsletter that touches on the most consequential elections of the midterms.
    — Yasmin Vossoughian, NBC news, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of touches
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.

Browse Nearby Words

tells off
tells (on)
telltale
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Tells (on).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tells%20%28on%29. Accessed 11 Aug. 2026.

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