as in convincing
having the power to persuade
presented us with telling evidence that convinced us he was right
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in describing
to give an oral or written account of in some detail
they told the story of how they had met
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in saying
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 counting
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 informing
to give information to
tell me, when did you begin playing the violin?
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in instructing
to issue orders to (someone) by right of authority
told us to sit still and wait
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in disclosing
to make known (as information previously kept secret)
I won't tell your secret to anyone
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of telling
Jenny Lehmann, Discover Magazine, 21 Mar. 2025
Star of 2021's Ghostbusters: Afterlife and 2024's Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, Mckenna Grace, also popped in via video to give a very telling clue for Griffin.
—Lauren Huff, EW.com, 13 Mar. 2025
Rachel Aviv, The New Yorker, 23 Dec. 2024
Unfortunately, many in the United States may even question whether CENTCOM is telling the truth.
—Peter Suciu, Forbes, 23 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for telling
Adjective
Researchers discovered that how often people eat with others is just as influential in predicting happiness as income level and can even be more telling than employment status.
—Jenny Lehmann, Discover Magazine, 21 Mar. 2025
Star of 2021's Ghostbusters: Afterlife and 2024's Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, Mckenna Grace, also popped in via video to give a very telling clue for Griffin.
—Lauren Huff, EW.com, 13 Mar. 2025
Verb
When her mother returned to Clinton, Andrea never considered telling her what had happened.
—Rachel Aviv, The New Yorker, 23 Dec. 2024
Unfortunately, many in the United States may even question whether CENTCOM is telling the truth.
—Peter Suciu, Forbes, 23 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for telling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for telling
Adjective
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For years, getting travelers to see Athens as more than a transient city would take some convincing; the extent of their stay at the best hotels in Athens would merely include a brief bucket-list visit to the Acropolis before scurrying off to the Greek islands.—
Monica Mendal,
Vogue,
8 Apr. 2025
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Some scammers go all the way to produce convincing looking alternatives to pages for organizations that seem so real, like a courier service.—
Lars Daniel,
Forbes.com,
7 Apr. 2025
Verb
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While that excitement still defines the event, the phrase may work better today describing the frenzy of fans trying to get to the actual games.—
DeMarco Williams,
Forbes,
14 Mar. 2025
-
But that’s too pat a way of describing something so slippery and alive.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
14 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Agency employees received an email this week informing them that they are placed on administrative leave, until further notice.—
Greta Cross,
USA TODAY,
15 Mar. 2025
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And senior current and former government officials as well as researchers worry that more serious threats are on the horizon, including to critical information that is key to informing tax policy.—
Howard Gleckman,
Forbes,
13 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The next year, Martin was accused of instructing staffers to regularly delete their emails to prevent them from becoming available to the media or public under the state’s Sunshine Law.—
Judy L. Thomas,
Kansas City Star,
31 Mar. 2025
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Whitfield doubles down on his previous orders, instructing the former sheepherder to murder all the Duttons and dump their bodies in the lawless border town.—
Matt Cabral,
EW.com,
30 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Rosenberg, along with her relatives, did not file Reports of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (FBARS) disclosing their offshore financial accounts, as required by law.—
Jay Weaver,
Miami Herald,
11 Mar. 2025
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Requirements such as disclosing documents, making court appearances and being subject to questioning can make heavy demands on participants’ time and attention.—
Jennifer Safstrom,
The Conversation,
11 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.—
Starr Bowenbank,
People.com,
9 Apr. 2025
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The technology's current limitations suggest that human developers will remain essential for creating compelling, polished game experiences for now.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
8 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Create Polls and Ask Questions Polls get people talking, and LinkedIn’s algorithm rewards it.—
William Arruda,
Forbes,
3 Jan. 2025
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Join our Space Forums to keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more!—
Leonard David,
Space.com,
3 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Palace put a message out on their social media page advising the issue had been fixed around 35 minutes after tickets went on sale.—
Matt Woosnam,
New York Times,
13 Apr. 2025
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Despite this being the lowest classification, health officials are still advising consumers to take precautions.—
Rachel Flynn,
People.com,
10 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Telling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/telling. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
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