TELLS (ON) Synonyms: 86 Similar and Opposite Words

tells (on)

verb

present tense third-person singular of tell (on)

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

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Recent Examples of Synonyms for tells (on)

Verb

As the world influences the object, changing its state, the arrow turns smoothly through Hilbert space.

— Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 26 Aug. 2026
The right dose, delivered consistently and appropriately, influences outcomes.

— John Graham Harper, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of influences

Verb

An incident that for others might be fatal—a free fall from a high bridge—affects the coyote for only a brief moment.

— Zach Helfand, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
On taxation, only about a third of clients understand how other income affects the taxability of their Social Security check, and nearly half are blindsided to learn that Medicare premiums can quietly shrink their monthly payment.

— Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of affects

Verb

Drew Allar impresses in preseason debut against Packers The Steelers' third-round pick out of Penn State this past year went 10 for 13 for 154 yards and three touchdowns against the Green Bay Packers.

— Patrick Damp, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026
The arts scene impresses, too, with several galleries sprinkled throughout town.

— Stephanie Vermillion, Travel + Leisure, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of impresses

Verb

The potential for misuse and physical dependence impacts the severity of adverse effects linked to buprenorphine.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 Aug. 2026
This could relate to something unexpected that impacts your money, possessions or your earnings.

— Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of impacts

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.

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tells off

tells (on)

telltale

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

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Synonyms of tells (on)

verb

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