tells (on)

verb

present tense third-person singular of tell (on)
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

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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)
  1. influences
  2. talks
  3. affects
  4. informs
  5. impresses
  6. impacts
  7. touches
Verb
  • Kevin Mohatt | Reuters The Supreme Court heard a major case this week concerning an Intel retirement plan which could result in a decision that influences employers' appetite for private investments in 401(k)s.
    — Cheryl Winokur Munk, CNBC, 10 Oct. 2026
  • AthenaZero is part of a more comprehensive research effort to understand how a robot’s physical construction influences its ability to manipulate objects.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of influences
Verb
  • In his weekly short meetings with the media, Dobbins still talks fast, brings energy, says something funny.
    — Troy Renck, Denver Post, 10 Oct. 2026
  • Correspondent Faith Salie talks with #1 draft pick Kelsie Whitmore; catcher Maggie Foxx; commissioner Justine Siegal; and CEO Keith Stein about what the new league means for women and sports.
    — David Morgan, CBS News, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of talks
Verb
  • The loss of revenue is enormous and affects the entire audiovisual industry ecosystem.
    — Marcelo Cajueiro, Variety, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Visceral fat, which sits deep inside the abdomen wrapped around internal organs, affects metabolism and influences insulin resistance.
    — Sadie Chafe, FOXNews.com, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of affects
Verb
  • That refusal to judge also informs Coon’s broader approach to acting.
    — Katherine Brodsky, Variety, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Livia’s unease informs her skepticism of politics; in linking the two, Kingsolver conflates class and culture, using the former as an excuse for what really just seems to be Livia’s constitutional conservatism.
    — Sam Worley, Vulture, 5 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
  • These can profoundly affect our orbiting satellites and power grid, so understanding the sun’s magnetic activity actually very much impacts us here on Earth.
    — Phil Plait, Scientific American, 9 Oct. 2026
  • This inequity not only impacts women psychologically, but physically.
    — Georgia Casey, Allure, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of impacts
Verb
  • The actor plays 007, of course, fighting against Javier Bardem’s Raoul Silva this time around in a story that touches on the very legacy of the big-screen super-spy.
    — Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Finishing touches on the church will wrap in the next few months and will include an ADA-accessible ramp.
    — Nancy Jiang, Los Angeles Times, 9 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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Cite this Entry

“Tells (on).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tells%20%28on%29. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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