telltales

plural of telltale
1
as in gossipers
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

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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 telltales Torry’s wife, a speech therapist, noticed concerning telltales that led to a diagnosis 14 years ago, when Torry was only 40 years old. — Michael Van Runkle, Robb Report, 1 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for telltales
Noun
  • Jessica Simpson has gotten used to gossipers gossiping about her private life.
    — Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 3 Sep. 2019
Noun
  • Information for the charges came from multiple sources, including citizen informants, who had observed Wolff hunting on their property, observations made by wardens while on patrol, and surveillance.
    — David Zeug, Outdoor Life, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Of course, the agency must protect confidential information, including the identities of informants, but the path of its decision-making should be made clear.
    — Charity Ryerson, Footwear News, 1 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • For an adolescent navigating friendships, rejection, identity and belonging, something that never judges them or gossips and is always available can be incredibly compelling.
    — Dr. Edith Bracho-Sanchez, CNN Money, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Group chats have—rightfully—earned a reputation as containers for gossips or for the airing of grievances that someone might not want to fully offer out loud to the public, and mine are not absent those things, from time to time.
    — Hanif Abdurraqib, New Yorker, 28 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • One of State Security’s main goals, as well as a central source of its strength, is turning civilians into informers.
    — Abraham Jiménez Enoa, The Dial, 19 May 2026
  • And so every regime invests in having student informers.
    — Anne Applebaum, The Atlantic, 23 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • Astronauts bring them on journeys to keep an eye on whether or not the water filtration systems are working, much the way miners used to take canaries down to the coal mines to check for poisonous gas leaks.
    — Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 18 Sep. 2026
  • She’s made room for dozens of pets over the years, ranging from fluffy Chow Chows and Frenchies (her favorite breeds) to canaries, chinchillas, and beautifully fluffy cats.
    — Wendy Rose Gould, Martha Stewart, 11 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Telltales.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/telltales. Accessed 26 Sep. 2026.

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