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
Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 7 Feb. 2026
Just as with fashion, music, movies, or culture, technology has become a telltale sign of communal nostalgia.
—William Jones, Ascend Agency, 7 Feb. 2026
Some creators go even deeper down the rabbit hole, suggesting that a puffy face is a telltale sign of an autoimmune or hormonal disorder like adrenal dysfunction, polycystic ovary syndrome, or Hashimoto’s disease.
—Georgia Casey, Allure, 6 Feb. 2026
Another telltale sign of an infestation is seeing swarmers indoors.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 4 Feb. 2026
Along with the telltale rash, measles can cause a high fever, cough, pneumonia, swelling of the brain (encephalitis), and death.
—Cara Lynn Shultz, PEOPLE, 3 Feb. 2026
While the thin ice cover was itself transparent, the cyanobacteria retained its telltale green color that could easily be seen from the shore and overhead.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 29 Jan. 2026
This is the telltale signature of Δ resonances decaying into pion-nucleon pairs that then coalesce into deuterons.
—Tejasri Gururaj, Interesting Engineering, 29 Jan. 2026
But there is one recent, telltale post full of pics of the comely couple.
—Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 28 Jan. 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
Aside from the telltale rash, measles symptoms can include high fever, cough and red, watery eyes.
—Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 7 Feb. 2026
Just as with fashion, music, movies, or culture, technology has become a telltale sign of communal nostalgia.
—William Jones, Ascend Agency, 7 Feb. 2026
Some creators go even deeper down the rabbit hole, suggesting that a puffy face is a telltale sign of an autoimmune or hormonal disorder like adrenal dysfunction, polycystic ovary syndrome, or Hashimoto’s disease.
—Georgia Casey, Allure, 6 Feb. 2026
Another telltale sign of an infestation is seeing swarmers indoors.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 4 Feb. 2026
Along with the telltale rash, measles can cause a high fever, cough, pneumonia, swelling of the brain (encephalitis), and death.
—Cara Lynn Shultz, PEOPLE, 3 Feb. 2026
While the thin ice cover was itself transparent, the cyanobacteria retained its telltale green color that could easily be seen from the shore and overhead.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 29 Jan. 2026
This is the telltale signature of Δ resonances decaying into pion-nucleon pairs that then coalesce into deuterons.
—Tejasri Gururaj, Interesting Engineering, 29 Jan. 2026
But there is one recent, telltale post full of pics of the comely couple.
—Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 28 Jan. 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
-
Listening, understanding, then reacting accordingly is indicative of O’Donnell’s overarching philosophy this season.—
Jordan Bianchi,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Fleming, who was one of the judges this year, said the event’s growth is indicative of the large number of sophisticated bakeries that have opened in metro Denver in the past few years and of the camaraderie that exists between their pastry chefs.—
Miguel Otárola,
Denver Post,
6 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
-
An informant with Talanoa Law and Justice told researchers that drugs impact the areas of the brain that control thinking and emotions.—
Ashley J. DiMella,
FOXNews.com,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Jonathan’s former informant into Teddy’s operation, Roxana (Camila Morrone), has defected to Roper’s side, even going as far as to try and orchestrate Jonathan’s assassination.—
Hunter Ingram,
Variety,
1 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Across the street from Hamburguesas El Gordo, a Mexican street food spot on Cedar Avenue in Minneapolis, a 29-year-old arborist stood on a corner Wednesday morning wearing a black hooded jacket under a reflective vest and an orange whistle on a string around his neck.—
Ray Sanchez,
CNN Money,
8 Feb. 2026
-
Frie recommends layering in reflective and light-balancing elements, noting that warm metallics, such as brass fixtures or gilded mirrors—along with thoughtful lighting, are essential.—
Angelika Pokovba,
Martha Stewart,
7 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
This brought back family gossip and hesitant bits of information about my mother’s beloved grandfather, my maternal great-grandfather.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 Feb. 2026
-
In the early 2000s, there was a viral gossip report that Thornton and the Tomb Raider star drank each other’s blood.—
James Hibberd,
HollywoodReporter,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
And so every regime invests in having student informers.—
Anne Applebaum,
The Atlantic,
23 Jan. 2026
-
Security services also rely on informers to tell them who might be using Starlink, and search internet and social media traffic for signs it has been used.—
David Rising,
Los Angeles Times,
14 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
-
There are no canaries on the Canary Islands.—
Richard Lederer,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
31 Jan. 2026
-
While Chicago is the canary in the coal mine, the legislative resistance to choice affects the entire state.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
22 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Telltale.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/telltale. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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