tell (on)

verb

Definition of tell (on)next
1
as in to affect
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 to talk
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 tell (on)
  1. affect
  2. talk
  3. influence
  4. inform
  5. impress
  6. impact
  7. touch
  8. strike
Verb
  • The instruments can move with greater flexibility than the human hand, while the system filters out natural hand tremors that could affect delicate movements.
    — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 30 Aug. 2026
  • The gesture continues a pattern for Swift, who has a long history of quietly funding GoFundMe campaigns for fans and strangers facing medical emergencies, including past donations to families affected by natural disasters and accidents.
    — Jessica Lynch, Billboard, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of affect
Verb
  • Fleming by body camera footage, approached Parker, who was talking on his cellphone.
    — Daniel McFadin, Arkansas Online, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Maybe a family watches a favorite performer together, while nearby strangers start talking because someone forgot sunscreen and their friend packed enough for six people.
    — Svetlana Khachiyan, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of talk
Verb
  • Physical activity, blood pressure, hearing loss, smoking, social isolation, sleep, nutrition, stress management and recovery can all influence our long-term health.
    — Mick Safron, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2026
  • In the 19th century, flamenco dancers began using the abanico as an expressive prop, as Cuban song and dance styles such as the guajira influenced the dance form.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of influence
Verb
  • This list is informed by The Athletic’s newsroom — including David Ornstein — and their reporting in the last days of the window.
    — The Athletic UK Staff, New York Times, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Any business, town or development group needs this data informing their decisions.
    — Twila Moon, Washington Post, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of inform
Verb
  • An eventual big twist feels too trickily over-contrived to impress, or convince.
    — Dennis Harvey, Variety, 2 Sep. 2026
  • With 23 games remaining, each night presents chances for players to impress the Kansas City coaching staff and front office.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of impress
Verb
  • Stewart doesn’t make excuses for missing the targets, even though Goodyear’s business, like many, has been impacted by tariffs, inflated raw material costs, and the expansion of cheaper Chinese products.
    — Michael Wayland, CNBC, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Before Turner, cattle grazing, logging, and mining impacted portions of the property for decades.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of impact
Verb
  • Her team said they were touched by the idea and are open to continuing the conversation, according to Lee.
    — Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Chinese cars are effectively banned in the United States through steep tariffs and regulatory restrictions, but that doesn’t apply to everything China touches in the auto industry.
    — Zachary Hansen, AJC.com, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of touch
Verb
  • In the lawsuit, investors alleged they were led to believe that a groundbreaking Wondermind app would be made, advertising deals would be struck, and celebrity cover stories were already underway.
    — Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Floods originating from a glacial lake struck the same valley in 2025, while an ice and rock avalanche occurred elsewhere in the area in 2024.
    — Sibi Arasu, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of strike
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.

Browse Nearby Words

tell off
tell (on)
tells
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Tell (on).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tell%20%28on%29. Accessed 3 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All