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
Relevance
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)
Verb
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According to Spark Biomedical, this stimulation regulates the nervous system and influences blood flow.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
7 Jan. 2026 -
The type of bone used influences the nutritional profile, and prepackaged broths can have added salts or other ingredients.—
Mark Gurarie,
Verywell Health,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Here, Morris talks to Deadline about digging deep to tell a personal and triumphant story about facing your fears.—
Destiny Jackson,
Deadline,
12 Jan. 2026
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Ahead of the film’s release on February 13, on the cusp of Valentine’s Day, Durran gives Vogue an exclusive closer look at her incredible work and some of the images on her mood board, and talks us through the most important looks.—
Radhika Seth,
Vogue,
10 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Bird flu, a highly contagious airborne respiratory virus, affects poultry — including chickens, ducks and turkeys — and some wild bird species, including geese and shorebirds, the department said.—
Laura Fay,
CBS News,
11 Jan. 2026
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Kalani has hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, a form of brain injury that affects muscle tone and mobility.—
Eva Remijan-Toba,
Chicago Tribune,
10 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The contract also reportedly contains a term stating that the school doesn’t have to enter him into the NCAA transfer portal; ordinarily, a school is obligated under NCAA rules to enter an athlete’s name once the athlete informs the school of their intent to transfer.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
8 Jan. 2026
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At the heart of this book is unfathomable sorrow that shapes the trajectory of all of her relationships and informs her actions and inactions.—
Shruti Mutalik,
Baltimore Sun,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Higgs delivered in the way that Streets expect from a player who continually impresses his coaches with his maturity.—
Steve Millar,
Chicago Tribune,
12 Jan. 2026
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What impresses Lanthimos most is Plemons’ willingness to relinquish control.—
Clayton Davis,
Variety,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Oftentimes, seemingly progressive legislation inadvertently impacts mom and pops in a disproportionately negative way.—
Tom Grech,
New York Daily News,
10 Jan. 2026
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An in-season tournament almost by definition impacts the importance of the 162-game schedule, and all that comes with it.—
Andy McCullough,
New York Times,
10 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Everything Martha Stewart touches ultimately ends up with great critical acclaim, and this serum will not be an exception.—
Tamim Alnuweiri,
InStyle,
11 Jan. 2026
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Running backs with 300-plus touches the previous season don’t generally repeat that volume the following season.—
Michael Salfino,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Tells (on).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tells%20%28on%29. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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