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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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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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for tells (on)

Verb

This difference influences how nuclear fuel behaves and how a reactor sustains fission.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 16 Oct. 2026
Although this can lose some of the intricate ways the global climate influences local weather events, the team was able to achieve a resolution of just 30 square miles, about the size of Glendale.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of influences

Verb

Publicly, Pacific Fusion talks mostly about its future ability to supply electricity, a promise the fusion industry has made for years.

— Sarah Scoles, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
Instead of using labels, Alkhatib talks his guests through the treasures, which include a marble model of the Taj Mahal, a geode from Morocco and a silver elephant sculpture from Sri Lanka.

— Dina Cheney, Washington Post, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of talks

Verb

This affects the product fit cycle, from shoe development to the retail fitting floor.

— Fairchild Studio, Footwear News, 19 Oct. 2026
The California Department of Public Health said the recall affects pastries with potential exposure to six allergens, including tree nuts, eggs, milk and wheat.

— Angela Rodriguez, Sacbee.com, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of affects

Verb

In addition to scaring the bejesus out of Hamlet and demanding blood, the ghost informs the audience exactly how the murder occurred.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 Oct. 2026
The facility lacks a verifiable method that informs food employees of their responsibility to report their health status in regards to illnesses that can spread through food.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of informs

Verb

Gunna somehow returns one of Gauff’s blistering serves into the net to kick off the clip, which impresses the 22-year-old tennis star.

— Michael Saponara, Billboard, 9 Oct. 2026
If Smith impresses in training camp, his non-guaranteed deal could be converted to a standard contract.

— Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 27 Sep. 2026

Definition of impresses

Verb

The film’s multigenerational story touches on the cultural inheritance passed between mothers, daughters and grandmothers — whether through old traditions or ordinary rituals.

— Johanna Ferreira, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
Saxberger is wary, but Meyers’s admiration touches something, and soon the older man’s convinced to join a nightly meeting of young aesthetes.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of touches

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

tells off

tells (on)

telltale

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Style

“Tells (on).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tells%20%28on%29. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of tells (on)

verb

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