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
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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 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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