as in to explain
to make plain or understandable
the dating applicant spelled out exactly what she wanted in a man
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Recent Examples of spell out
One of the reports spelled out the lack of progress on the outstanding issues such as explaining the uranium traces, which the IAEA has been asking the Islamic Republic to do for years.
—
Reuters, NBC News, 27 Feb. 2025
And, while Papa spells out a clear payment formula that always provides mileage reimbursements after a few miles, some freelancers maintain that the site doesn’t pay them for mileage.
—Kathy Kristof, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Feb. 2025
The administration's Project 2025 handbook explicitly spells out goals to downsize the agency, break it up, and privatize parts of it.
—Dan Perry, Newsweek, 28 Feb. 2025
Certain movies, however, do spell out those numbers in full, so for example the schlocky 2002 movie about giant spiders called Eight Legged Freaks would count for beginning with a vowel, even as 8 Mile would not.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 26 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spell out
Reuters, NBC News, 27 Feb. 2025
And, while Papa spells out a clear payment formula that always provides mileage reimbursements after a few miles, some freelancers maintain that the site doesn’t pay them for mileage.
—Kathy Kristof, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Feb. 2025
The administration's Project 2025 handbook explicitly spells out goals to downsize the agency, break it up, and privatize parts of it.
—Dan Perry, Newsweek, 28 Feb. 2025
Certain movies, however, do spell out those numbers in full, so for example the schlocky 2002 movie about giant spiders called Eight Legged Freaks would count for beginning with a vowel, even as 8 Mile would not.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 26 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spell out
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spell out
Verb
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This analysis of an innovative AI breakthrough is part of my ongoing Forbes column coverage on the latest in AI, including identifying and explaining various impactful AI complexities (see the link here).—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes,
15 Mar. 2025
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The United States Department of Justice revealed the arrest on May 13, 2020, explaining that Fayne, who also goes by the name Arkansas Mo, had been arrested on federal bank fraud charges arising from a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan.—
Diane J. Cho,
People.com,
15 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The tragic case of Kitty Genovese in 1964 famously illustrated this concept, though the case details have been subject to later scrutiny and revision.—
Cornelia C. Walther,
Forbes,
22 Mar. 2025
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Efficiency at what cost? Read: The rise of techno-authoritarianism Careless People illustrates how this ideological vacuum is filled by its leaders’ fleeting whims and governed by their fragile egos.—
Charlie Warzel,
The Atlantic,
22 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The Statesman sent a city spokesperson several questions to try to clarify the timeline.—
Alex Brizee,
Idaho Statesman,
14 Mar. 2025
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This article has been updated to clarify that the U.S. Department of Education erroneously listed The University of Tulsa instead of the University of Oklahoma, Tulsa School of Medicine.—
Mark Davis,
Newsweek,
14 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Mayfield demonstrated an early precocity for music without any formal training.—
Lovia Gyarkye,
The Hollywood Reporter,
14 Mar. 2025
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Even those who successfully raise initial capital face formidable hurdles in securing follow-on funding, often under pressure to demonstrate rapid growth and immediate profitability—expectations fundamentally misaligned with the long-term nature of early-stage venture building.—
Joseph Edgar,
Forbes,
14 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Spell out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spell%20out. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.
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