tell on
phrasal verb
told on; telling on; tells on
1
informal
: to tell someone in authority about the bad behavior or actions of (someone else)
Please don't tell on me.
2
: to have a noticeable effect on (someone or something)
The stress began to tell on her face/health.
Examples of tell on in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The pressure of perfection starts to tell on Redford’s character, Paul, who winds up drunk, in Washington Square Park, in broad daylight, tipping garbage over himself.
—
Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 18 Sep. 2025
Bejo will play Alice Guy Blaché in Alice, the first time the visionary’s story has been told on screen.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 10 Sep. 2025
Has this embarrassment of visual riches guaranteed that any story told on a smaller canvas is doomed to feel unambitious in comparison?
—Richard Edwards, Space.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Indeed, the royal family only comes together two times a year, during summer, at Balmoral, and during Christmas, so the fact that Andrew was invited and was invited just as the newspapers were very much reporting on the revelations from the autobiography is telling on King Charles’ part.
—Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 25 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tell on
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Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 18 Sep. 2025
Bejo will play Alice Guy Blaché in Alice, the first time the visionary’s story has been told on screen.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 10 Sep. 2025
Has this embarrassment of visual riches guaranteed that any story told on a smaller canvas is doomed to feel unambitious in comparison?
—Richard Edwards, Space.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Indeed, the royal family only comes together two times a year, during summer, at Balmoral, and during Christmas, so the fact that Andrew was invited and was invited just as the newspapers were very much reporting on the revelations from the autobiography is telling on King Charles’ part.
—Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 25 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tell on
Cite this Entry
“Tell on.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tell%20on. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.
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