TELL Synonyms: 241 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the verb 'tell' differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of tell are betray , disclose , divulge , and reveal . While all these words mean "to make known what has been or should be concealed," tell implies an imparting of necessary or useful information. // told them what he had overheard

Q: Where would 'betray' be a reasonable alternative to 'tell'?

While in some cases nearly identical to tell , betray implies a divulging that represents a breach of faith or an involuntary or unconscious disclosure. // a blush that betrayed her embarrassment

Q: When would 'disclose' be a good substitute for 'tell'?

The words disclose and tell can be used in similar contexts, but disclose may imply a discovering but more often an imparting of information previously kept secret. // candidates must disclose their financial assets

Q: When might 'divulge' be a better fit than 'tell'?

Although the words divulge and tell have much in common, divulge implies a disclosure involving some impropriety or breach of confidence. // refused to divulge an anonymous source

Q: In what contexts can 'reveal' take the place of 'tell'?

The meanings of reveal and tell largely overlap; however, reveal may apply to supernatural or inspired revelation of truths beyond the range of ordinary human vision or reason. // divine will as revealed in sacred writings

tell

verb

ˈtel

Definition of tell next

as in to describe

to give an oral or written account of in some detail they told the story of how they had met

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Relevance

as in to say

to express (a thought or emotion) in words just tell us what is in your heart

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as in to count

to find the sum of (a collection of things) by noting each one as it is being added who can tell the number of grains of sand in the world?

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as in to inform

to give information to tell me, when did you begin playing the violin?

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as in to instruct

to issue orders to (someone) by right of authority told us to sit still and wait

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as in to reveal

to make known (as information previously kept secret) I won't tell your secret to anyone

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb tell differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of tell are betray, disclose, divulge, and reveal. While all these words mean "to make known what has been or should be concealed," tell implies an imparting of necessary or useful information.

told them what he had overheard

Where would betray be a reasonable alternative to tell?

While in some cases nearly identical to tell, betray implies a divulging that represents a breach of faith or an involuntary or unconscious disclosure.

a blush that betrayed her embarrassment

When would disclose be a good substitute for tell?

The words disclose and tell can be used in similar contexts, but disclose may imply a discovering but more often an imparting of information previously kept secret.

candidates must disclose their financial assets

When might divulge be a better fit than tell?

Although the words divulge and tell have much in common, divulge implies a disclosure involving some impropriety or breach of confidence.

refused to divulge an anonymous source

In what contexts can reveal take the place of tell?

The meanings of reveal and tell largely overlap; however, reveal may apply to supernatural or inspired revelation of truths beyond the range of ordinary human vision or reason.

divine will as revealed in sacred writings

Examples Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of tell Poll workers told police the man initially refused to verify his identity with his home address, which is necessary to receive the ballot. —

Dan Horn, The Enquirer, 6 Nov. 2024 Gilchrist told the Free Press that being in a swing state is significant to the U.S. Senate and presidential races. —

Dana Afana, Detroit Free Press, 6 Nov. 2024 The day after a deadly Oct. 30 crash involving a pedestrian, police told Sheila Nagengast, of Staten Island, that her sister Denise Owens, 44, had been killed, according to Glen Devora, who is Nagengast's attorney. —

Antonio Planas, NBC News, 6 Nov. 2024 Benjamin Deneen, the paper’s lead author, tells Popular Science that in the early days of neuroscience, research tended to focus on neurons, treating other cells as relatively unimportant support structures. —

Tom Hawking, Popular Science, 6 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for tell

Recent Examples of Synonyms for tell

Verb

Trump could inject new levels of volatility into what is often described as the world’s most important bilateral relationship, after an election win that comes at a critical moment for the globe’s two largest economies.

Jennifer Jett, NBC News, 7 Nov. 2024
The suspects’ vehicle has been described as a black, four-door Lexus ES 350 that appeared to have noticeable damage on the front driver’s-side fender.

Harry Harris, The Mercury News, 7 Nov. 2024