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
Anyone who knows the suspect and wants to tell on him can contact Corporal Josh Wang at 650-375-7470.
—
Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 18 Apr. 2025
The spare 90-minute play is told on a simple barnyard-like stage, allowing the playwright’s words, actors and the audience’s imagination to fill in the rest.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Apr. 2025
That's especially telling on this day of reciprocal tariffs as his trade war is unpopular.
—Domenico Montanaro, NPR, 2 Apr. 2025
The mother, Whitney Price, was told on Jan. 16 by school staff that her son got a bloody nose from running into a wall.
—Lina Ruiz, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tell on
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Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 18 Apr. 2025
The spare 90-minute play is told on a simple barnyard-like stage, allowing the playwright’s words, actors and the audience’s imagination to fill in the rest.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Apr. 2025
That's especially telling on this day of reciprocal tariffs as his trade war is unpopular.
—Domenico Montanaro, NPR, 2 Apr. 2025
The mother, Whitney Price, was told on Jan. 16 by school staff that her son got a bloody nose from running into a wall.
—Lina Ruiz, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Mar. 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 30 Apr. 2025.
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