as in indicative
indicating something
I know you've been eating chocolate because of the telltale smudges on your face
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in gossiper
a person who habitually reveals personal or sensational facts about others
the media's professional telltales have basically decided that today's celebrities have no right to privacy
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in informant
a person who provides information about another's wrongdoing
the department telltale told the boss that his coworkers were taking extra long breaks
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of telltale
Dino Grandoni The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 26 Oct. 2025
Infected people usually experience a telltale rash that appears in stages and is located on the hands, feet, chest, face, or mouth, or near the genitals.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 17 Oct. 2025
Teig came upon piles of green scat, a telltale sign that an animal was close by.
—Devon O’Neil, Outside, 15 Oct. 2025
Kingston brushed off the telltale signs of uterine cancer as typical aging, a mistake experts say can cost women their lives.
—Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 15 Oct. 2025
That telltale increase in pressure is detected by the sensor, which is able to match it to the corresponding gesture and associated command.
—New Atlas, 9 Oct. 2025
Holmes and other legal professionals say there are common telltale signs of careless AI use, such as citations to nonexistent case law, filler language that was left in, and ChatGPT-style emoji or formatting that looks nothing like a typical legal document.
—Angela Yang, NBC news, 8 Oct. 2025
If future observations detect telltale radio emissions from 3I/ATLAS, the finding could become a pivotal moment in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence.
—Jordan King, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Oct. 2025
Swift shows off the practical sets in behind-the-scenes rehearsal footage in The Official Release Party of a Showgirl, but fans spent the weekend pointing out strange inconsistencies in these door videos that line up with telltale signs of AI art like muddled writing and weird physics.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 6 Oct. 2025
Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 19 Sep. 2025
Check for telltale thinning at the crown and temples; broken, frizzy bits at ear and chin level; as well as shorter strands at the nape of the neck that look shredded or wispy.
—Philipp Wehsack, Vogue, 30 Jan. 2025
The only telltale is the small 350e badge on the back.
—Nina Turner, Newsweek, 29 Oct. 2024
Tents selling fireworks all over the county are opening and the telltale pops, booms and bangs can be heard far and wide leading up to Independence Day.
—Andy Humbles, The Tennessean, 22 June 2024
The initial telltale symptom of the plague is an extremely swollen lymph node, according to Adalja.
—Melissa Rudy, Fox News, 16 Feb. 2024
Photo: Courtesy of Neon Spectators at the crash scene in 1957 reported hearing the telltale hiss of a tire blowing out.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 22 Jan. 2024
And in the following days, astronomers saw the telltale reddening of a kilonova in the same spot as the gamma-ray burst.
—Quanta Magazine, 13 Dec. 2023
The thief slowly turns the dial, listening for the telltale clicks or resistance that might hint at the inner workings of the safe's gears and reveal its combination.
—Andy Greenberg, WIRED, 21 June 2020
Adjective
Paleontologists use that telltale layer of atoms from space embedded in clay to mark the end of the age of dinosaurs in the rock record.
—Dino Grandoni The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 26 Oct. 2025
Infected people usually experience a telltale rash that appears in stages and is located on the hands, feet, chest, face, or mouth, or near the genitals.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 17 Oct. 2025
Teig came upon piles of green scat, a telltale sign that an animal was close by.
—Devon O’Neil, Outside, 15 Oct. 2025
Kingston brushed off the telltale signs of uterine cancer as typical aging, a mistake experts say can cost women their lives.
—Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 15 Oct. 2025
That telltale increase in pressure is detected by the sensor, which is able to match it to the corresponding gesture and associated command.
—New Atlas, 9 Oct. 2025
Holmes and other legal professionals say there are common telltale signs of careless AI use, such as citations to nonexistent case law, filler language that was left in, and ChatGPT-style emoji or formatting that looks nothing like a typical legal document.
—Angela Yang, NBC news, 8 Oct. 2025
If future observations detect telltale radio emissions from 3I/ATLAS, the finding could become a pivotal moment in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence.
—Jordan King, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Oct. 2025
Swift shows off the practical sets in behind-the-scenes rehearsal footage in The Official Release Party of a Showgirl, but fans spent the weekend pointing out strange inconsistencies in these door videos that line up with telltale signs of AI art like muddled writing and weird physics.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 6 Oct. 2025
Noun
That was a big telltale for the song.
—Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 19 Sep. 2025
Check for telltale thinning at the crown and temples; broken, frizzy bits at ear and chin level; as well as shorter strands at the nape of the neck that look shredded or wispy.
—Philipp Wehsack, Vogue, 30 Jan. 2025
The only telltale is the small 350e badge on the back.
—Nina Turner, Newsweek, 29 Oct. 2024
Tents selling fireworks all over the county are opening and the telltale pops, booms and bangs can be heard far and wide leading up to Independence Day.
—Andy Humbles, The Tennessean, 22 June 2024
The initial telltale symptom of the plague is an extremely swollen lymph node, according to Adalja.
—Melissa Rudy, Fox News, 16 Feb. 2024
Photo: Courtesy of Neon Spectators at the crash scene in 1957 reported hearing the telltale hiss of a tire blowing out.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 22 Jan. 2024
And in the following days, astronomers saw the telltale reddening of a kilonova in the same spot as the gamma-ray burst.
—Quanta Magazine, 13 Dec. 2023
The thief slowly turns the dial, listening for the telltale clicks or resistance that might hint at the inner workings of the safe's gears and reveal its combination.
—Andy Greenberg, WIRED, 21 June 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for telltale
Adjective
-
But this game — that talk — is indicative of the bigger Chiefs offensive picture.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
28 Oct. 2025
-
In at least two of the incidents, Spors exhibited troubling behaviors indicative of an ongoing mental health crisis and was once taken to a hospital but discharged, records show.—
Hope Karnopp,
jsonline.com,
27 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Celebrity gossiper Rob Shuter reported that the two recently let go of a number of their staff.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
3 Sep. 2025
-
Her staff figured out how to get rid of the gossiper.—
Ronda Racha Penrice,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Merlino came out on top after a hitman allegedly hired by Stanfa, spurned by Stanfa's refusal to pay him, became an informant for the FBI, per CBS News.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
23 Oct. 2025
-
Though Cory lets the info slip to Celine as a bargaining chip, another informant spills the beans.—
Dessi Gomez,
Deadline,
22 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Manicurist Brittney Boyce, Fox's go-to nail artist, mimicked that deep red color on the star's nails—with a modern, reflective cats-eye texture.—
Kara Nesvig,
Allure,
27 Oct. 2025
-
Adding reflective tape to costumes or bags, wearing bright colors and carrying a flashlight or glow stick can help drivers see trick-or-treaters.—
Katia Hetter,
CNN Money,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
In between bickering with Rodgers and pining for a young would-be protégé named Elizabeth, played by Margaret Qualley, Hart gossips to the bartender—Eddie, portrayed by Bobby Cannavale—and begs him for just one more pour.—
Kyle McGovern,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 Oct. 2025
-
So fans were left scratching their heads when gossip site Deux Moi broke that Stickler had gone on not one, but two dates with John Mayer in NYC last week.—
Madeleine Marr,
Miami Herald,
21 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Frizer and Skeres were fraudsters, and the sinister Poley was an informer, crucial to the exposure of the Babington Plot.—
Anthony Lane,
New Yorker,
8 Sep. 2025
-
Option 2: If one prisoner informs while the other stays silent, the informer will go free while the silent one receives the harshest sentence.—
Michael Ashley,
Forbes.com,
29 July 2025
Noun
-
Cuestas said the development incorporates climate-resilient and health-focused design features, including a three-year public transit circulator, EV infrastructure, and beyond-LEED and Title 24 building standards to ensure strong indoor air quality.—
Walker Armstrong,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
20 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Like canaries in the coal mine ocean form.—
Ashley Miznazi,
Miami Herald,
16 Oct. 2025
-
Here’s what the canaries are telling us.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
13 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Telltale.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/telltale. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
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