SPELL OUT Synonyms: 37 Similar and Opposite Words

spell out

verb

Definition of spell out

as in to explain

to make plain or understandable the dating applicant spelled out exactly what she wanted in a man

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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.

Recent Examples of spell out In his second meeting at the Fed's helm, Chairman Kevin Warsh reiterated his commitment to bringing down inflation but declined to spell out what would lead him to vote to raise rates. — Alex Harring, CNBC, 30 July 2026 Anthropic is careful to explicitly spell out most of these caveats. — Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 29 July 2026 Both lawsuits argue that the government didn’t adequately establish its case against each specific economy or spell out how the tariffs will eliminate the specified practice they are being levied to address, as required by Section 301. — Mae Anderson, Los Angeles Times, 25 July 2026 After a court filing spelling out the agreement came during the last hour of trading on Wall Street, shares in Paramount added to what was already a lackluster day. — Ted Johnson, Deadline, 24 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for spell out

Recent Examples of Synonyms for spell out

Verb

The enterprise fund is generated from airport user fees, such as airline terminal rents, aircraft landing fees, parking revenues and rental car customer facility charges, Johnson explained.

— Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 27 July 2026
Indefinite Causal Order Quantum systems often display behaviors that are difficult to explain with classical physics.

— Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 27 July 2026

Definition of explain

Verb

The backtracking illustrates how the politics of criminal justice have shifted since 2020, posing dilemmas for Democrats’ midterm strategy and their ability to enact their preferred solutions.

— ABC News, ABC News, 31 July 2026
With so many clubs stuck in that vast middle, Detroit’s predicament illustrates the fluid nature of this deadline.

— Patrick Mooney, New York Times, 30 July 2026

Definition of illustrate

Verb

Details of the investigation remain sparse, and Belichick did little to clarify matters, appearing to sidestep questions about how Lombardi’s indefinite absence could affect the team.

— Chantz Martin, FOXNews.com, 1 Aug. 2026
Russian Ambassador to Iraq Maxim Maksimov clarified that Iraq didn’t make any formal request for S-400s.

— Paul Iddon, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026

Definition of clarify

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spelling out

spell out

spells

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“Spell out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spell%20out. Accessed 4 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of spell out

verb

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