1
as in influences
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 talks
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 tells (on)
Verb
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The Texas economy has been growing, but that is not the only thing that influences the inflow of potential migrants.—
Mike Schneider,
Fortune,
31 Jan. 2026 -
Araminta inadvertently influences Sophie’s reconnection with Benedict (Luke Thompson) out in the countryside after Sophie’s stepmother sends her packing.—
Dessi Gomez,
Deadline,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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And no one talks much about that.—
Teri Sforza,
Oc Register,
4 Feb. 2026
-
Kennedy, who is in long-term recovery from addiction to alcohol and heroin, talks frequently about his own struggles with substance use.—
Lev Facher,
STAT,
2 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The funding lapse affects agencies within the Department of Homeland Security, requiring most employees to continue working without pay while others are furloughed.—
Marley Malenfant,
Austin American Statesman,
14 Feb. 2026
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This setup allowed the team to directly compare performance and show how edge passivation affects high-resistivity wafer behavior.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Tracking how clusters assemble across vast stretches of time and space also informs our knowledge of the cosmic web and the cosmological parameters that shape it.—
Lee Billings,
Scientific American,
4 Feb. 2026
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Read Buy or Sell GOOG Stock to understand what informs our current opinion.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Woodard's philosophy is to put the best players on the field, which includes any freshman who impresses her.—
Caleb Yum,
Austin American Statesman,
3 Feb. 2026
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This particular model impresses with its trendy dark brown and pink colors, as well as its unique fit.—
Katharina Fuchs,
Glamour,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Whether that impacts the effectiveness of the conversation remains to be seen.—
Bob O'Donnell,
USA Today,
11 Feb. 2026
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And in those common issues, one negotiation impacts the next negotiation.—
Cynthia Littleton,
Variety,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Around the size of a bathtub, the grille touches 70 percent of the menu, an idea that Greenberg has been familiar with since childhood.—
Nicole Hoey,
Robb Report,
10 Feb. 2026
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Otherwise that proves to be a checklist of several things the movie scarcely touches on at all.—
Amy Nicholson,
Twin Cities,
8 Feb. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Tells (on).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tells%20%28on%29. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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