as in bawls out
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Recent Examples of Synonyms for tells off
Verb
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Options laid out in an Interior Department study of new operating rules absent a seven-state solution envision Lower Basin cuts up to twice what the Southwestern states have suggested.—
Brandon Loomis,
AZCentral.com,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Around the same time, Oscar de la Renta sent floor-skimming shirt dresses down the runway, while Stephen Burrows gave sequins a sporty edge in wrap-styles blouses and dresses – perfect for transitioning from work to cocktail parties in the era.—
Tonya Blazio-Licorish,
Footwear News,
19 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Ben smashes chests and heads in, tears jaws out, rips faces off, and director Johannes Roberts makes sure to include brief close-ups of the carnage, lit just dimly enough to avoid truly grossing us out.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Simon Maghakyan lectures on the 20th anniversary of the destruction of Djulfa in December 2025.—
Simon Maghakyan,
Time,
30 Jan. 2026
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In her car, Jessica Gabriel’s Lady is an avid listener of DJ Revolution, a fictional radio DJ who lectures passionately about the struggles of modern-day life in Nigeria.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
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While some online scolds didn’t like Johnson’s profanity, this has played well in Chicago, a city that has been ravenous for a winning Bears team since the 20th Super Bowl.—
Jon Greenberg,
New York Times,
14 Jan. 2026
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Or on Bluesky with the joke scolds, or on Mastodon with the Linux hackers, or on Threads with the voice-forward brands?—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 Nov. 2025
Verb
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And Vance berates Democrats in a visit to Minneapolis.—
Kayla Hayempour,
NBC news,
23 Jan. 2026
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Cast members performed on The Tonight Show and in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and made a surprise appearance on Saturday Night Live, in a sketch in which host Bad Bunny berates his friends for failing to grasp the movie’s brilliance.—
Eliza Berman,
Time,
9 Dec. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Tells off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tells%20off. Accessed 8 Feb. 2026.
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