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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2

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
  • The Justice Department unveiled this case against it, essentially arguing that SPLC had been defrauding its donors by paying informants within far-right groups who were infiltrating those groups.
    Hanna Rosin, The Atlantic, 9 July 2026
  • In 2020, for example, the high court ruled that Muslim men who claimed that their religious rights were violated for being placed on the government’s no-fly list after refusing to serve as FBI informants could sue the FBI agents for damages.
    Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 23 June 2026
Noun
  • Though the Colonel had many enemies, the violence of his death shocks the sleepy village and starts the tongues of the local gossips wagging.
    Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 15 July 2026
  • Even when Romanzy goes off on how stupid and ugly Caleb is — and gossips that his parents abandoned him because something must be wrong with him — Mary goes along with it.
    Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 11 July 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
  • The Edge and Adam Clayton both release canaries into the air in slow motion.
    Al Shipley, SPIN, 26 June 2026
  • These living materials could also serve as canaries in the coal mine for water safety, glowing brighter or dimming in the presence of specific toxins.
    Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 7 May 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Telltales.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/telltales. Accessed 24 Jul. 2026.

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