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
Relevance
2
as in informants
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for telltales
Noun
-
Jacobsen, who was appointed chief in 2022, is suspected of stealing money from a department fund that was created to pay confidential informants.—
Edmund H. Mahony,
Hartford Courant,
6 Jan. 2026 -
In a separate court filing submitted Monday, Cole’s attorneys also demanded broad discovery, including all statements attributed to him, investigative notes, information about the FBI’s use of informants to identify Cole as a suspect, and any exculpatory material.—
Kaelan Deese,
The Washington Examiner,
29 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Hometown gossips and lonely girls to the front.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 Jan. 2026
-
Internet gossips are increasingly spreading unfounded rumors that the couple is in distress.—
Francesca Chambers,
USA Today,
13 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Like canaries in the coal mine ocean form.—
Ashley Miznazi,
Miami Herald,
16 Oct. 2025
-
During the late 19th and early 20th century, coal miners in Europe and North America used canaries as living carbon monoxide alarms.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
13 Oct. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Telltales.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/telltales. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
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