as in explains
to make plain or understandable
the dating applicant spelled out exactly what she wanted in a man
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Recent Examples of spells out
The consent decree spells out the back pay 26 workers will get for work they should have been paid between 2019 and 2023.
—
Esme Murphy, CBS News, 28 Apr. 2026
Havertz has had two significant spells out over the past two seasons with hamstring and knee injuries, returning to action around the turn of the year.
—James McNicholas, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2026
The Common Council has seen vacancies before, and city's municipal code spells out what the alderperson and the city must do when someone declares their intent to resign.
—Bridget Fogarty, jsonline.com, 13 Apr. 2026
On its website, the IRS spells out the new deduction amounts available at different income levels.
—Max Zahn, ABC News, 13 Apr. 2026
Lina communicates using a method in which a nonspeaking person spells out words with the assistance of a facilitator, often a family member.
—Tom Bartlett, The Atlantic, 5 Apr. 2026
In a March 26 news release, Texas Parks and Wildlife officials announced an amendment that more clearly spells out what buyers must show at the counter and adds tougher documentation rules for some out-of-state and foreign applicants.
—Dante Motley, Austin American Statesman, 31 Mar. 2026
Seeing the wall police breached to give people inside the club a chance to get out, or the bathrooms and dressing rooms where people hid, prayed for survival or reached out to family and friends carries an impact that spells out this nation’s terrifying vulnerability to gun violence.
—Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Mar. 2026
The order spells out the exact amount of money that each of the 106 women are owed.
—Alex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Feb. 2026
Esme Murphy, CBS News, 28 Apr. 2026
Havertz has had two significant spells out over the past two seasons with hamstring and knee injuries, returning to action around the turn of the year.
—James McNicholas, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2026
The Common Council has seen vacancies before, and city's municipal code spells out what the alderperson and the city must do when someone declares their intent to resign.
—Bridget Fogarty, jsonline.com, 13 Apr. 2026
On its website, the IRS spells out the new deduction amounts available at different income levels.
—Max Zahn, ABC News, 13 Apr. 2026
Lina communicates using a method in which a nonspeaking person spells out words with the assistance of a facilitator, often a family member.
—Tom Bartlett, The Atlantic, 5 Apr. 2026
In a March 26 news release, Texas Parks and Wildlife officials announced an amendment that more clearly spells out what buyers must show at the counter and adds tougher documentation rules for some out-of-state and foreign applicants.
—Dante Motley, Austin American Statesman, 31 Mar. 2026
Seeing the wall police breached to give people inside the club a chance to get out, or the bathrooms and dressing rooms where people hid, prayed for survival or reached out to family and friends carries an impact that spells out this nation’s terrifying vulnerability to gun violence.
—Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Mar. 2026
The order spells out the exact amount of money that each of the 106 women are owed.
—Alex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spells out
Verb
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Mike Jones of The Athletic explains why the lack of top-tier quarterback prospects beyond Fernando Mendoza limits the intrigue typically expected of NFL drafts.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
24 Apr. 2026
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Each mural is accompanied by a link to the project’s website, which explains its mission and provides background on and pictures of each plant species featured in the murals.—
Madeline King,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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But the central bank’s latest meeting illustrates the quagmire Warsh is about to wade into.—
Eleanor Mueller,
semafor.com,
29 Apr. 2026
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But the Manus episode illustrates the limits of that strategy.—
Dewardric L. McNeal,
CNBC,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The attorney then clarifies if his testimony is that Randklev went through the training, but had not read any part of the act.—
Fousia Abdullahi,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
28 Apr. 2026
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The platform compares plans based on usage and clarifies performance and speed requirements so users can pick a long-term plan that suits their household.—
Wyles Daniel,
Charlotte Observer,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Trump has argued that last weekend’s shooting at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner demonstrates why the ballroom is needed to hold safe, secure events for the president and other officials.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
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The initiative not only strengthens Australia’s defence posture but also demonstrates the growing importance of advanced land systems in addressing the security challenges of the future.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
27 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Spells out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spells%20out. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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