1
a
: an outward sign : indication
b
2
: a device for indicating or recording something: such as
a
: a wind-direction indicator often in the form of a ribbon
b
: a strip of metal on the front wall of a racquets or squash court above which the ball must be hit
telltale
adjective
Synonyms
Examples of telltale in a Sentence
the media's professional telltales have basically decided that today's celebrities have no right to privacy
the department telltale told the boss that his coworkers were taking extra long breaks
Recent Examples on the Web
The only telltale is the small 350e badge on the back.
—
Nina Turner, Newsweek, 29 Oct. 2024
The thief slowly turns the dial, listening for the telltale clicks or resistance that might hint at the inner workings of the safe's gears and reveal its combination.
—Andy Greenberg, WIRED, 21 June 2020
Photo: Courtesy of Neon Spectators at the crash scene in 1957 reported hearing the telltale hiss of a tire blowing out.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 22 Jan. 2024
The initial telltale symptom of the plague is an extremely swollen lymph node, according to Adalja.
—Melissa Rudy, Fox News, 16 Feb. 2024
And in the following days, astronomers saw the telltale reddening of a kilonova in the same spot as the gamma-ray burst.
—Quanta Magazine, 13 Dec. 2023
Many of them were topped with ominous radar images or a telltale swirl with a colorful eye.
—Madeleine Marr Miami Herald (tns), al, 23 Aug. 2023
To him, any piece of a ship is a telltale: How it was constructed speaks volumes about where and when a ship was built.
—Lawrence Specker | Lspecker@al.com, al, 9 July 2023
Oakley’s script draws from the experience of lesbians oppressed under Section 28, and that verisimilitude informs every moment of McEwen’s quiet but stirring performance, the strain showing in telltale flickers across her face.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 June 2023
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Nina Turner, Newsweek, 29 Oct. 2024
The thief slowly turns the dial, listening for the telltale clicks or resistance that might hint at the inner workings of the safe's gears and reveal its combination.
—Andy Greenberg, WIRED, 21 June 2020
Photo: Courtesy of Neon Spectators at the crash scene in 1957 reported hearing the telltale hiss of a tire blowing out.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 22 Jan. 2024
The initial telltale symptom of the plague is an extremely swollen lymph node, according to Adalja.
—Melissa Rudy, Fox News, 16 Feb. 2024
And in the following days, astronomers saw the telltale reddening of a kilonova in the same spot as the gamma-ray burst.
—Quanta Magazine, 13 Dec. 2023
Many of them were topped with ominous radar images or a telltale swirl with a colorful eye.
—Madeleine Marr Miami Herald (tns), al, 23 Aug. 2023
To him, any piece of a ship is a telltale: How it was constructed speaks volumes about where and when a ship was built.
—Lawrence Specker | Lspecker@al.com, al, 9 July 2023
Oakley’s script draws from the experience of lesbians oppressed under Section 28, and that verisimilitude informs every moment of McEwen’s quiet but stirring performance, the strain showing in telltale flickers across her face.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 June 2023
Dictionary Entries Near telltale
Cite this Entry
“Telltale.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/telltale. Accessed 3 Dec. 2024.
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