tell of
phrasal 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
His most recent book, Bottom Shelf, goes on sale on February 17, 2026, and tells of his struggle with PTSD and mental health upon returning from Iraq in 2004.
—
Melinda Salchert, Southern Living, 14 Feb. 2026
With a vibe that throws back to another era of studio comedies, the project tells of a psychologist couple whose parenting philosophy is put to the ultimate test when they’re forced to counsel a crime boss’s dysfunctional family while being held hostage at a hotel.
—Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 9 Feb. 2026
In the first communications between dispatch and responding officers, responders were first told of five shots being reported.
—Mark Reynolds, The Providence Journal, 9 Feb. 2026
Coach John Wroblewski shook his head quickly when told of the kickoff time.
—Andrew Greif, NBC news, 8 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tell of
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Melinda Salchert, Southern Living, 14 Feb. 2026
With a vibe that throws back to another era of studio comedies, the project tells of a psychologist couple whose parenting philosophy is put to the ultimate test when they’re forced to counsel a crime boss’s dysfunctional family while being held hostage at a hotel.
—Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 9 Feb. 2026
In the first communications between dispatch and responding officers, responders were first told of five shots being reported.
—Mark Reynolds, The Providence Journal, 9 Feb. 2026
Coach John Wroblewski shook his head quickly when told of the kickoff time.
—Andrew Greif, NBC news, 8 Feb. 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 16 Feb. 2026.
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