tell of
verb
told of; telling of; tells of
formal + literary
1
: to be evidence of (something) : to indicate
Her smile told of her good news.
His rough hands tell of a hard life.
2
: to describe (something) : to make the details of (something) known
The article tells of her Arctic journey.
3
: to talk to (someone) about (something)
He told us of his plans to move to the city.
Examples of tell of in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
That Hill’s resume turned so many heads was telling of how unusual the one-company career path has become.
—
Tristan Bove, Fortune, 14 May 2026
Garcia’s mother and grandfather were rushed to the hospital and haven’t been conscious long enough since to be told of Garcia’s fate.
—Emma Seiwell, New York Daily News, 14 May 2026
When told of his dismissal, Morey was surprised and expressed disappointment but was understanding.
—Tony Jones, New York Times, 13 May 2026
The 49ers were told of Young's death by his wife, according to the Associated Press.
—Ingrid Vasquez, PEOPLE, 13 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for tell of
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.
Tristan Bove, Fortune, 14 May 2026
Garcia’s mother and grandfather were rushed to the hospital and haven’t been conscious long enough since to be told of Garcia’s fate.
—Emma Seiwell, New York Daily News, 14 May 2026
When told of his dismissal, Morey was surprised and expressed disappointment but was understanding.
—Tony Jones, New York Times, 13 May 2026
The 49ers were told of Young's death by his wife, according to the Associated Press.
—Ingrid Vasquez, PEOPLE, 13 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for tell of
Cite this Entry
“Tell of.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tell%20of. Accessed 22 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
