tells (of)

present tense third-person singular of tell (of)
as in indicates
to serve as a sign or symptom of his poor performance in the debate tells of too little preparation

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for tells (of)
Verb
  • The slow rate at which this is occurring indicates this cosmic vampirism will last for hundreds of thousands to billions of years.
    — Robert Lea, Space.com, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Preliminary information indicates that the explosion occurred near the vessel’s stern deck, resulting in limited damage, a police spokesperson said in a statement.
    — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 7 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Yet, despite these extraordinary advances, the brain still holds countless mysteries, with much more left to learn and discover and optogenetics has given us a powerful means to take on these challenges.
    — Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 5 Oct. 2026
  • What this means, in practical terms, is that the songs on Beat elevate mood above structure.
    — Sadie Sartini Garner, Pitchfork, 4 Oct. 2026
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

Cite this Entry

“Tells (of).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tells%20%28of%29. Accessed 10 Oct. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster