tell of
phrasal verb
told of; telling of; tells of
formal + literary
1
: to be evidence of (something) : to indicate
Her smile told of her good news.
His rough hands tell of a hard life.
2
: to describe (something) : to make the details of (something) known
The article tells of her Arctic journey.
3
: to talk to (someone) about (something)
He told us of his plans to move to the city.
Examples of tell of in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Acquaintances told of the girl’s unsettling habit of staring at people with an alarming intensity.
—
Mara Bovsun, New York Daily News, 9 Feb. 2025
The story is told of a fellow who was walking home from work one day.
—Rev. Bill Kerr, Twin Cities, 7 Feb. 2025
As homeowners and buyers navigate this new landscape, the coming months will be telling of the market's true direction and recovery trajectory.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 6 Feb. 2025
The Roman writer Pliny the Elder told of a time when there was no shortage of men who had survived well into their 800s.
—Joe Kloc, New York Times, 18 Jan. 2025
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Mara Bovsun, New York Daily News, 9 Feb. 2025
The story is told of a fellow who was walking home from work one day.
—Rev. Bill Kerr, Twin Cities, 7 Feb. 2025
As homeowners and buyers navigate this new landscape, the coming months will be telling of the market's true direction and recovery trajectory.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 6 Feb. 2025
The Roman writer Pliny the Elder told of a time when there was no shortage of men who had survived well into their 800s.
—Joe Kloc, New York Times, 18 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for tell of
Dictionary Entries Near tell of
Cite this Entry
“Tell of.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tell%20of. Accessed 20 Feb. 2025.
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