tell on

phrasal verb

told on; telling on; tells on

1

informal : to tell someone in authority about the bad behavior or actions of (someone else)

Please don't tell on me.

2

: to have a noticeable effect on (someone or something)

The stress began to tell on her face/health.

Examples of tell on in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In 2022, he was told on a Friday that a starter was ill and couldn’t play, so Lowery stepped in at a new position, switching to safety without a practice rep, and helped seat the game with his first career sack (while making a career-high nine tackles). —Bruce Feldman, The Athletic, 6 Aug. 2024

That’s the story Largo, Maryland, duo Free Party are telling on their latest EP, Cut Your Teeth. —Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 22 Oct. 2024

Time will tell on both, but each were moves that didn't immediately leave me scratching my head. —Jon Krawczynski, The Athletic, 13 July 2024

In the years since, her story of young Celie’s survival and coming of age continues to be told on screen and onstage. —David L. Coddon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 June 2024