tell

verb

ˈtel How to pronounce tell (audio)
Definition of tellnext
1
as in to describe
to give an oral or written account of in some detail they told the story of how they had met

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in to say
to express (a thought or emotion) in words just tell us what is in your heart

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to count
to find the sum of (a collection of things) by noting each one as it is being added who can tell the number of grains of sand in the world?

Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in to inform
to give information to tell me, when did you begin playing the violin?

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in to instruct
to issue orders to (someone) by right of authority told us to sit still and wait

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in to reveal
to make known (as information previously kept secret) I won't tell your secret to anyone

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb tell differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of tell are betray, disclose, divulge, and reveal. While all these words mean "to make known what has been or should be concealed," tell implies an imparting of necessary or useful information.

told them what he had overheard

Where would betray be a reasonable alternative to tell?

While in some cases nearly identical to tell, betray implies a divulging that represents a breach of faith or an involuntary or unconscious disclosure.

a blush that betrayed her embarrassment

When would disclose be a good substitute for tell?

The words disclose and tell can be used in similar contexts, but disclose may imply a discovering but more often an imparting of information previously kept secret.

candidates must disclose their financial assets

When might divulge be a better fit than tell?

Although the words divulge and tell have much in common, divulge implies a disclosure involving some impropriety or breach of confidence.

refused to divulge an anonymous source

In what contexts can reveal take the place of tell?

The meanings of reveal and tell largely overlap; however, reveal may apply to supernatural or inspired revelation of truths beyond the range of ordinary human vision or reason.

divine will as revealed in sacred writings

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of tell Cast members are not given full scripts, and several claim they were told what to say on the spot, which would account for their deer-in-headlights delivery. — Becca Rothfeld, New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2026 Earlier, Nepal’s Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal told a press conference that the country has sought specific and specialized assistance from neighboring countries. — Sophie Tanno, CNN Money, 29 Aug. 2026 His sister, Hillary, previously told KTLA that he was injured after diving into the water and striking a sandbar. — Erin Clack, PEOPLE, 29 Aug. 2026 Someone in the organization needs the balls to tell this guy something negative. — Peter Chawaga, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for tell
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tell
  1. describe
  2. say
  3. count
  4. inform
  5. instruct
  6. reveal
  7. narrate
  8. talk
Verb
  • DeepMind's Demis Hassabis has similarly described a future that plays to that strategy.
    — MacKenzie Sigalos,Drew Troast, CNBC, 3 Sep. 2026
  • For space robots, Ono describes simplicity in terms of the number of actuators.
    — IEEE Spectrum, IEEE Spectrum, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of describe
Verb
  • Subramanyam said his calls were monitored between March and May, noting that at the time the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee was pushing for former Attorney General Pam Bondi to testify.
    — Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 4 Sep. 2026
  • If your dishwasher has an upper third rack for utensils, Sala says to lay knives and cutlery there to avoid safety hazards and free up space in the silverware caddy.
    — Claire Hoppe Norgaard, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of say
Verb
  • The Times interviewed moms (and one really cool aunt) who attended the original Lilith Fair — and the kids in their lives — who now count themselves among the Daisy Chain generation.
    — Suzy Exposito, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Long maintenance periods can reduce the number of submarines available for deployments even when the vessels remain counted in the fleet’s overall inventory.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of count
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
  • The next month, senior bank leaders and vice chairs were instructed by human resources not to enter positive feedback about Nallasivan’s performance in the evaluation system, according to the lawsuit.
    — Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Trump made the name change in an executive order signed on Thursday, which instructed the Secretary of the Interior to implement the change within the next 30 days.
    — Zachary Folk, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of instruct
Verb
  • With Howe stepping down and Matthias Jaissle, the 38-year-old German, replacing him, and with plans finally revealed for a new £190m training ground, Newcastle have embraced the shock of the new.
    — George Caulkin, New York Times, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Very little has been revealed about The Batman Part II‘s plot.
    — Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of reveal
Verb
  • As All In Goes Over Curfew Will Ospreay had the best entrance of the night, with his mum narrating his journey to the top of AEW.
    — Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
  • By Wednesday morning at Dollywood, the scent of cinnamon bread filled the air and long lines formed at a theater featuring biographical stories narrated by Parton.
    — Kimberlee Kruesi, Fortune, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of narrate
Verb
  • For those who take pride in their pouty lips (or their ability to talk their way out of just about anything), a swipe of lipstick and nothing else is a cool way to look put together without the hustle of actually putting yourself together.
    — Loren Savini, Allure, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Despite 40-plus years of dazzling red-carpet moments—and two decades since becoming the first Arab designer on the official Paris haute couture calendar—in real life Elie Saab is still more comfortable letting his runway do the talking for him.
    — Tina Isaac-Goizé, Vogue, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of talk

Phrases Containing tell

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televisions
tell
tell-all
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Cite this Entry

“Tell.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tell. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on tell

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about tell

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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