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 team suggests that photochemistry and photophysics — chemistry and physics driven by light emissions — likely influences how those environments are shaped, but understanding just how will require more study.—
Elizabeth Howell,
Space.com,
23 Apr. 2026 -
This one narrow passage influences fuel prices, insurance costs, shipping schedules, inflation expectations, and diplomatic posture across multiple continents.—
Tenzin Seldon,
Fortune,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Below, Weisman talks with THR about the difficult conversations in the writers’ room about presenting the interracial friend group onscreen, considering an alternative killer and the message the series sends about the danger shame and secrets pose to women.—
Brande Victorian,
HollywoodReporter,
29 Apr. 2026
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Ahead, Fields talks determination in pursuit of a dream, following your instincts and fostering relationships.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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In banking, an erroneous decision affects a transaction.—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Fortune,
2 May 2026
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Snowpack levels influence stream flow, which in turn affects salmon runs—the primary food source for brown bears.—
Debbie Olsen,
Travel + Leisure,
2 May 2026
Verb
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Welcome to Latest & Greatest, a franchise that celebrates all the shiniest new beauty launches of the month and informs you what’s worth your time and cash.—
Gina Vaynshteyn,
StyleCaster,
30 Apr. 2026
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Meta informs staff layoffs affecting 8,000 employees amid AI push – Amid a massive strategic pivot toward artificial intelligence, Meta has informed its staff of impending layoffs expected to affect approximately 8,000 employees as the tech giant restructures its workforce.—
Staff,
FOXNews.com,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Also Astellas is reentering the clinic with a next-generation gene therapy for XLMTM and Intellia’s CRISPR therapy for hereditary angioedema impresses.—
Meghana Keshavan,
STAT,
27 Apr. 2026
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That’s what impresses Grayslake North senior shortstop/third baseman Jane Pritchard.—
Bobby Narang,
Chicago Tribune,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Urban flooding also disproportionately impacts Black neighborhoods, which tend to exist in low-lying areas or in neighborhoods without the green spaces that would normally absorb water.—
Sacoby Wilson,
Baltimore Sun,
29 Apr. 2026
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The family regulation system impacts more than half of Black children over the course of their lifetime, with each intervention carrying the risk of an indication for abuse or neglect or worse — separation from your children.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Legal work that touches immigration status or physical injury can bring fear to the surface again and again.—
Connie Etemadi,
USA Today,
27 Apr. 2026
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Kansas City-area Representatives Sam Graves, who represents a swath of northern Missouri, and Mark Alford, whose district touches the metro and central Missouri, similarly both made statements about the attack.—
Jack Harvel
April 27,
Kansas City Star,
27 Apr. 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 3 May. 2026.
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