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
Issy Ronald, CNN Money, 28 Feb. 2026
And then comes that telltale sound again – slow, steady and deliberate.
—Leonie Baier, The Conversation, 27 Feb. 2026
Neve Campbell‘s Sidney Prescott, back after a one-film hiatus, will start getting calls again from someone using that telltale voice soon enough.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 27 Feb. 2026
Though most people recover, some develop long-term health problems after their telltale rash clears.
—Erika Edwards, NBC news, 21 Feb. 2026
The massive and enthusiastic standing ovation the director got from the turnaway crowd (unusual at AMPAS these days) was a telltale sign this movie was going all the way.
—Pete Hammond, Deadline, 20 Feb. 2026
There are telltale signs that there's too much moisture in your house, from condensation to unpleasant odors.
—Hallie Milstein, Southern Living, 20 Feb. 2026
Stay vigilant by monitoring the sky for ominous signs and listening for the telltale sound of thunder.
—Bay Area Weather Report, Mercury News, 18 Feb. 2026
Then Vahid hears the telltale squeak of Peg Leg’s prosthetic leg.
—Tim Grierson, Los Angeles Times, 17 Feb. 2026
Robert Lea, Space.com, 30 Nov. 2025
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
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
Still, enough intact objects survived to identify the telltale designs.
—Issy Ronald, CNN Money, 28 Feb. 2026
And then comes that telltale sound again – slow, steady and deliberate.
—Leonie Baier, The Conversation, 27 Feb. 2026
Neve Campbell‘s Sidney Prescott, back after a one-film hiatus, will start getting calls again from someone using that telltale voice soon enough.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 27 Feb. 2026
Though most people recover, some develop long-term health problems after their telltale rash clears.
—Erika Edwards, NBC news, 21 Feb. 2026
The massive and enthusiastic standing ovation the director got from the turnaway crowd (unusual at AMPAS these days) was a telltale sign this movie was going all the way.
—Pete Hammond, Deadline, 20 Feb. 2026
There are telltale signs that there's too much moisture in your house, from condensation to unpleasant odors.
—Hallie Milstein, Southern Living, 20 Feb. 2026
Stay vigilant by monitoring the sky for ominous signs and listening for the telltale sound of thunder.
—Bay Area Weather Report, Mercury News, 18 Feb. 2026
Then Vahid hears the telltale squeak of Peg Leg’s prosthetic leg.
—Tim Grierson, Los Angeles Times, 17 Feb. 2026
Noun
However, when outflows from young stars strike surrounding molecular clouds, shockwaves are created that heat matter and cause molecular hydrogen to emit telltale emissions.
—Robert Lea, Space.com, 30 Nov. 2025
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
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
-
Any prices or levels shown are either historical or purely indicative.—
Katie Stockton,
CNBC,
2 Mar. 2026
-
The decrease between the two most recent surveys could be indicative of a downward trend.—
Mary Kekatos,
ABC News,
25 Feb. 2026
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
-
Investigators are using tools ranging from electronic surveillance — which includes the internet — undercover operations and informants to monitor any potential threat of attack from terrorist groups Hezbollah, al Qaeda, and ISIS.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
28 Feb. 2026
-
The sergeant said the lieutenant who would typically receive informant money had not been given any in November or December.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
27 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Tom Bonds would once go to Empower Field and hear boos rain down from the Broncos’ own fanbase — boos Bonds couldn’t help but think were reflective of Paton, given his seat at the table.—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
28 Feb. 2026
-
Organizers noted the outdoor setting would make the space accessible and reflective for residents and visitors alike.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
27 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The gossip spread, quickly reaching Aidan Romain, a 16-year-old sophomore and a talented water polo player in his own right.—
Deanna Kizis,
Vanity Fair,
4 Mar. 2026
-
The juiciest bit of gossip is when the group goads Gomez into perusing her Instagram DMs for a message from … who?—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
3 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
And so every regime invests in having student informers.—
Anne Applebaum,
The Atlantic,
23 Jan. 2026
-
The whole family is deeply involved in the revolutionary movement: the oldest son disappears into Siberia, never to be seen or heard of again, while the youngest, eighteen, is jailed together with his father, and executed after his cell is exposed by an informer.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
22 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
These include helium circulators, turbines, steam generators, pumps, and instrumentation and controls for the reactor’s power and heat generation.—
Ameya Paleja,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Constitutional concerns helped tank a bill Tuesday in the South Dakota House of Representatives that aimed to ban payments to petition circulators in ballot measure campaigns.—
John Hult,
States Newsroom,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
By crunching data from millions of monthly payroll records for workers in jobs with exposure to generative AI, the authors concluded that workers ages 22 to 25—the canaries—have seen about a 13 percent decline in employment since late 2022.—
Josh Tyrangiel,
The Atlantic,
10 Feb. 2026
-
There are no canaries on the Canary Islands.—
Richard Lederer,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
31 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Telltale.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/telltale. Accessed 6 Mar. 2026.
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