TELLING (ON) Synonyms: 85 Similar and Opposite Words

telling (on)

verb

Definition of telling (on)

present participle of tell (on)

as in affecting

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in talking

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 telling (on)

Verb

And even the respondents who are skeptical of anything actually affecting the integrity of the games, are concerned about the possibility – known to exist beyond sports – of insider trading on the prediction markets.

— Hannah Keyser, CNN Money, 18 Oct. 2026
Just in the past year, California has closed two diesel refineries which is dramatically increasing the prices of diesel, the price of diesel in California, but also affecting the quantities across the entire country.

— NBC news, NBC news, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of affecting

Verb

That level of pure confidence while talking to the person with cold, hard footage is what makes Lisa Barlow the perfect Real Housewife.

— Tom Smyth, Vulture, 15 Oct. 2026
There are so many more interesting things than listening to a bunch of Flock employees talking on a wireless microphone with radio.

— Nilay Patel, The Verge, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of talking

Verb

During the Virgil Abloh years, fashion’s latest golden era reached far beyond its own bubble, influencing music, youth culture and the wider creative world.

— Alex Badia, Footwear News, 12 Oct. 2026
Ringham said the results may reflect how AI enthusiasm is influencing investors' short-term focus more than their long-term strategy.

— Hayley Cuccinello, CNBC, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of influencing

Verb

The White House press office sent letters to the news organizations on September 22, informing them of the reasons and their ability to contest the action, but that was four days after the ban was implemented.

— Ted Johnson, Deadline, 13 Oct. 2026
Even her good friend Gizelle knew, and chose to gossip with Ashley instead of privately informing Tia off camera.

— Shamira Ibrahim, Vulture, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of informing

Verb

At 6-3, 255 pounds, Howell was one of several top pass rushers in the draft who was dinged for arm length but is already impressing with varied rushes through the first two weeks.

— PJ Green September 24, Kansas City Star, 24 Sep. 2026
The third-round pick out of USC was one of the stars of Ravens training camp, impressing in practices and scoring a touchdown in the team’s first preseason game.

— Jeff Zrebiec, New York Times, 16 Sep. 2026

Definition of impressing

Verb

His exit, which was confirmed by the streamer, is part of the major layoffs at Netflix today that are impacting 1,000 people.

— Anthony D'Alessandro, Deadline, 14 Oct. 2026
It’s kept the Eastern Shore mostly unscathed by hurricanes but is severely impacting Baltimore’s freshwater supply.

— Luke Parker, Baltimore Sun, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of impacting

Verb

One company might allow isolating employee endpoints automatically but require human approval before touching production.

— Asaf Wiener, Forbes.com, 16 Oct. 2026
Two employees did not wash their hands and/or change gloves in between touching personal phones and going back to food preparation.

— Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of touching

Verb

Surveillance video of the incident reviewed by ABC News appears to show the ICE vehicle moving in the direction of a man running and then striking him.

— ABC News, ABC News, 16 Oct. 2026
Others spoke of police chokeholds and the grainy footage that showed officers striking King with batons.

— David Zahniser, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of striking

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

telling off

telling (on)

tell (of)

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“Telling (on).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/telling%20%28on%29. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of telling (on)

verb

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