1
as in affecting
to act upon (a person or a person's feelings) so as to cause a response
the pressure of final exams is beginning to tell on the students in the dorm
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in talking
to give information (as to the authorities) about another's improper or unlawful activities
detectives convinced the perpetrators in custody to tell on their associates
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for telling (on)
Verb
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Other nationwide lawsuits are opposing more recent changes affecting the custody and care of immigrant children.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
5 Apr. 2026 -
The proportion of rye to wheat flour can also vary widely, affecting both texture and nutrient content.—
Daryl Austin,
USA Today,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The married father of two sons, who had been on the force for seven months, was making his regular rounds and stopped at Circle K, spotting Teresa talking with a 16-year-old boy outside the store, according to court records.—
Amanda Lee Myers,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2026
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But our cast from Hunting Wives happened to be at the party, and there was Ted talking to them and taking selfies.—
Lacey Rose,
HollywoodReporter,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The maritime trade routes of Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean allowed pickling traditions to travel across vast regions, influencing cuisines from the Malay Archipelago to the Arabian Peninsula.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Scientifically speaking, the most sensible thing is to conduct further research to investigate the extent to which a factor such as gender influences efficacy and whether there may be other influencing factors.—
Manon Bischoff,
Scientific American,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
And Lucy’s achievements are impressing athletes who have been lifting since long before she was born.—
Francie Ebert,
NBC news,
2 Apr. 2026
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The 25-year-old, embarking on his first full big league season after impressing with 14 starts last year, added zero walks and eight strikeouts with 68 pitches.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
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From extreme heat and wildfire smoke to asthma and utility costs, climate change is already impacting our everyday lives.—
CBS LA Staff,
CBS News,
31 Mar. 2026
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Saudi officials equally didn’t offer up much new information on how the biggest conflict in the region in decades, and the consequent closure of vital oil and shipping routes, was impacting the kingdom’s economy.—
Matthew Martin,
semafor.com,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The White House team is required to file a report informing the court of the status of its compliance within 21 days after the order takes effect.—
Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy,
USA Today,
2 Apr. 2026
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Thousands of Oracle workers woke Tuesday to an email from their employer informing them that their jobs had been cut with immediate effect, in what appears to one of the largest mass layoffs in the tech giant’s history.—
Hugh Cameron,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Duggar is charged with lewd and lascivious molestation of a victim less than 12 years old and lewd and lascivious behavior conducted by a person 18 years or older for allegedly inappropriately touching a 9-year-old girl during a family vacation back in 2020.—
Theresa Braine,
New York Daily News,
31 Mar. 2026
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In your dominant hand, align the knife blade flat against the rod, and then tilt away until the slope of your knife’s edge is the only portion touching the rod.—
Jesse Raub,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The return to work in March of about 31,000 striking Kaiser Permanente health care workers accounts for some of the rebound.—
Rachel Barber,
USA Today,
3 Apr. 2026
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Meghan's striking blue dress by Victoria Beckham helped make for a major moment—and photograph—that would mark the end of one chapter and beginning of another.—
Katherine J Igoe,
InStyle,
3 Apr. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Telling (on).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/telling%20%28on%29. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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