TELLS OFF Synonyms: 49 Similar and Opposite Words

tells off

verb

present tense third-person singular of tell off

as in bawls out

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Recent Examples of Synonyms for tells off

Verb

After Szabo cuts up Matt’s face in one of many graphic scenes, the actor loses his career and just about everything else in his life.

— Glenn Garner, Deadline, 21 Oct. 2026
The New England Aquarium research scientist cuts up frozen Atlantic menhaden, known locally as pogies, secures them to circle hooks attached to several fishing rods, and casts them into the shallow water.

— Asia London Palomba, Christian Science Monitor, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of cuts up

Verb

There’s a moment when a former general upbraids a footman for not wearing gloves to serve food.

— Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 22 May 2026
Mother Mary shivers in the middle of the barn with her head slung low while Sam upbraids the pop star for leaving her behind for other, whiter designers when her career went supernova.

— David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 14 Apr. 2026

Definition of upbraids

Verb

Scarlett Johansson dresses down in a New York Giants sweatshirt on set for The Exorcist in New York City on March 30.

— Katie Hill, PEOPLE, 2 Apr. 2026
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

Definition of dresses down

Verb

Some intergenerational sparring ensues, as Kevin scolds Arthur for his more outré boomer comments, and Arthur in turn sneers at his grandson’s millennial lameness.

— Jessica Kiang, Variety, 19 Aug. 2026
The audience screams in response, and Scovel scolds them again but this time with a smile.

— Kathryn VanArendonk, Vulture, 11 Aug. 2026

Definition of scolds

Verb

Lizzie’s father, meanwhile, stands by quietly as his wife berates both his daughter and the family maid, Margaret, at dinner that evening.

— Chris Spargo, PEOPLE, 18 Sep. 2026
But the real anger belongs to the narrator herself, who berates herself for bringing a succession of troubled men into her son’s life.

— The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 9 July 2026

Definition of berates

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tells (of)

tells off

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“Tells off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tells%20off. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of tells off

verb

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