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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Ahead, the star talks all things Bridgerton season 4 and beyond.—
Emily Kelleher,
InStyle,
15 Jan. 2026
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In Finland, talks with the domestic defense industry and anti-personnel land mine training for military personnel will start early this year.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
14 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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Partnerships become clearer as messenger Mercury informs your relationships, while expansive Jupiter highlights your identity needs and self-respect.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
14 Jan. 2026
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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
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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Insufficient staffing also impacts the amount of inmates able to be housed in state prisons.—
Briah Lumpkins,
Charlotte Observer,
14 Jan. 2026
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This impacts Doekhi’s results for back-foot and front-foot defending.—
Beren Cross,
New York Times,
14 Jan. 2026
Verb
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This was designed to give something comfortable — the flexible FKM touches your skin— while maintaining a businesslike exterior.—
David Phelan,
Forbes.com,
20 Jan. 2026
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Usually, once Brooks chooses to go one-on-one, no one else touches the basketball.—
Fred Katz,
New York Times,
16 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 22 Jan. 2026.
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