who can tell
idiom
—used to say that something cannot be predicted
Who can tell what will happen next season?
Examples of who can tell in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In episode seven, Timothy is confronted by Saxon, who can tell something is going on and is begging for an explanation.
—
Zoe Papelis, Vulture, 31 Mar. 2025
That’s true for both young people who can tell their parents and those who cannot.
—Kate Coleman-Minahan, The Conversation, 17 Mar. 2025
When data drives the conversation, decisions are less about who can tell the best story and more about what the evidence says.
—Cheryl Robinson, Forbes, 15 Mar. 2025
Serious questions of authorship — of who can write what roles, who can tell what stories — not only echo in the bodies of Wohl’s characters but find voice through them.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 20 Feb. 2025
The series — a comedic Columbo-esque mystery-of-the-week starring Natasha Lyonne as an amateur detective who can tell when a person is lying — tends to move to a new location each week, which means the guest rosters can get pretty long (and star-studded!).
—Mathew Rodriguez, Them, 20 Feb. 2025
Nicholas, whose life is a disappointment to him, who can tell that his life is a disappointment to his parents, can’t handle it.
—Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 25 Oct. 2024
This race is not actually about who is more eloquent or who can tell the truth better or more, and that feels a little bit naive at this point.
—Leah Feiger, WIRED, 11 Sep. 2024
Anyone who can tell Stu Cook from Doug Clifford probably is Stu Cook or Doug Clifford.
—Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 4 Aug. 2024
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Zoe Papelis, Vulture, 31 Mar. 2025
That’s true for both young people who can tell their parents and those who cannot.
—Kate Coleman-Minahan, The Conversation, 17 Mar. 2025
When data drives the conversation, decisions are less about who can tell the best story and more about what the evidence says.
—Cheryl Robinson, Forbes, 15 Mar. 2025
Serious questions of authorship — of who can write what roles, who can tell what stories — not only echo in the bodies of Wohl’s characters but find voice through them.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 20 Feb. 2025
The series — a comedic Columbo-esque mystery-of-the-week starring Natasha Lyonne as an amateur detective who can tell when a person is lying — tends to move to a new location each week, which means the guest rosters can get pretty long (and star-studded!).
—Mathew Rodriguez, Them, 20 Feb. 2025
Nicholas, whose life is a disappointment to him, who can tell that his life is a disappointment to his parents, can’t handle it.
—Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 25 Oct. 2024
This race is not actually about who is more eloquent or who can tell the truth better or more, and that feels a little bit naive at this point.
—Leah Feiger, WIRED, 11 Sep. 2024
Anyone who can tell Stu Cook from Doug Clifford probably is Stu Cook or Doug Clifford.
—Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 4 Aug. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Who can tell.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/who%20can%20tell. Accessed 21 Apr. 2025.
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