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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of telltale
Philipp Wehsack, Vogue, 30 Jan. 2025
After two months, there was an average 45% increase in new eyelash growth without the telltale darkening of skin and eye color that often comes with PGA formulas.
—Arden Fanning Andrews, Vogue, 17 Jan. 2025
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 only telltale is the small 350e badge on the back.
—Nina Turner, Newsweek, 29 Oct. 2024
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
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
The initial telltale symptom of the plague is an extremely swollen lymph node, according to Adalja.
—Melissa Rudy, Fox News, 16 Feb. 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
Noun
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
After two months, there was an average 45% increase in new eyelash growth without the telltale darkening of skin and eye color that often comes with PGA formulas.
—Arden Fanning Andrews, Vogue, 17 Jan. 2025
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 only telltale is the small 350e badge on the back.
—Nina Turner, Newsweek, 29 Oct. 2024
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
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
The initial telltale symptom of the plague is an extremely swollen lymph node, according to Adalja.
—Melissa Rudy, Fox News, 16 Feb. 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for telltale
Adjective
-
There’s a lot of reasons why the information for May is not indicative of what will happen the rest of the year.—
Richard Kestenbaum,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2025
-
Some haven’t aged well, but a lot of it was indicative of public opinion at the time.—
Rebecca Rubin,
Variety,
11 June 2025
Noun
-
Another informant said Linda hit Todd over the head with a blunt object.—
Erin Moriarty,
CBS News,
20 May 2025
-
The federal investigation of the NDP also raised concerns, involving payments to informants that strengthened a violent splinter group.—
Mark Sappenfield,
Christian Science Monitor,
12 May 2025
Adjective
-
The selection was emblematic of the six-song set, where a loose, reflective Vedder leaned heavily on covers.—
Eric Renner Brown,
Billboard,
13 June 2025
-
Already heading into year 10 in the NFL, Prescott shakes his head with a reflective smile any time the subject comes up.—
Nick Harris,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
12 June 2025
Noun
-
Costco members on a Reddit page devoted to Costco gossip also sounded off about the new drink.—
Peter Burke,
FOXNews.com,
8 June 2025
-
Entertainment gossip and news from Newsweek's network of contributors The 78th Tony Awards are here, celebrating the best Broadway has to offer.—
Jeremy Hanna,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 June 2025
Noun
-
Singh says that the Kashmir policy of India's Hindu nationalist government has alienated residents of Kashmir, and cost the Indian army its vital network of local informers.—
Omkar Khandekar,
NPR,
23 Apr. 2025
-
The book’s cast of characters is immense, including spies and informers, dubious bankers, Mafiosos, terrorists, radical priests who support the poor, and conservatives who back right-wing dictators.—
Foreign Affairs,
Foreign Affairs,
22 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
The other begins by recognizing that increasingly frequent and severe weather events are not outliers but warnings, as the canary in the coal mine.—
Michael Sheldrick,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2025
-
Vidal stared at Buckley during this outburst with the expression of a cat that has just swallowed a very large canary.—
Louis Menand,
New Yorker,
26 May 2025
Noun
-
Likely, species that already thrive in the subway—rats, cockroaches, pigeons, opossums—would be the first ones to take advantage of the human-free passages.—
Sarah Durn,
Popular Science,
5 June 2025
-
Traps to catch rats, possums, and stoats are scattered across key parts of the urban landscape, with hundreds of locals offering their gardens as trapping sites.—
Laurie Winkless,
Forbes.com,
5 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Telltale.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/telltale. Accessed 17 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share