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
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
-
Kelly Pedersen, partner and global retail leader at PwC, said the fact that 40 percent of parents will cut their spending on apparel and shoes is indicative of consumer sentiment at large.—
Meghan Hall,
Sourcing Journal,
24 June 2025
-
Text Capture is indicative of Google's strategy to make AI features as frictionless as possible.—
Michael Muchmore,
PC Magazine,
23 June 2025
Noun
-
But, during the trials, you were named as someone who interrogated Aquash for being an informant.—
Nick Estes,
New Yorker,
26 June 2025
-
Privacy advocates have expressed concern that the program, and Ring’s accompanying Neighbors app, have heightened the risk of racial profiling and turned residents into informants, with few guardrails around how law enforcement can use the material.—
Annie Palmer,
CNBC,
25 June 2025
Adjective
-
Trump’s recent attitude toward TV news is reflective of that of the rest of the country, though millions are still watching Fox News.—
Megan Poinski,
Forbes.com,
25 June 2025
-
Xi was tougher than most, but his behavior was still reflective of the context of the times.—
Nicholas Creel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 June 2025
Noun
-
Entertainment gossip and news from Newsweek's network of contributors A fan-favorite game turned the villa upside down last night as the islanders got one another's pulses pounding in the heart-rate challenge.—
Billie Melissa,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 June 2025
-
Refreshingly, there’s no talk of politics, religion, sports, finance, world news, or gossip.—
Thomas Cangelosi,
Hartford Courant,
27 June 2025
Noun
-
The court can instruct the jury to view with caution the testimony of, say, an informer or a drug addict.—
Daniel Arkin,
NBC news,
10 June 2025
-
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
Noun
-
Talent opting out of top jobs is a canary in the coal mine.—
Solange Charas,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2025
-
Valor Christian’s former head football coach is the canary in the coal mine for Colorado high school sports.—
The Denver Post Editorial Board,
Denver Post,
15 May 2025
Noun
-
Humans hate navigating a rat maze and having robots talk at them.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
30 June 2025
-
Also known as the Andalusian terrier, these dogs were bred to help protect vineyard wine cellars from potential rat infestations.—
Liz O'Connell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 June 2025
Noun
-
Other congressional reporters arriving at Capitol Hill today passed these exhausted Senate reporters on their way out.—
Mackenzie Thomas,
The Washington Examiner,
1 July 2025
-
The three courses finished on Dec. 9, according to the online course catalog. Reached on his cellphone Friday, Snyder declined to comment and directed an Idaho Statesman reporter to the university.—
Sally Krutzig,
Idaho Statesman,
1 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Telltale.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/telltale. Accessed 9 Jul. 2025.
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