as in indicative
indicating something
I know you've been eating chocolate because of the telltale smudges on your face
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in gossiper
a person who habitually reveals personal or sensational facts about others
the media's professional telltales have basically decided that today's celebrities have no right to privacy
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in informant
a person who provides information about another's wrongdoing
the department telltale told the boss that his coworkers were taking extra long breaks
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of telltale
Philipp Wehsack, Vogue, 30 Jan. 2025
After two months, there was an average 45% increase in new eyelash growth without the telltale darkening of skin and eye color that often comes with PGA formulas.
—Arden Fanning Andrews, Vogue, 17 Jan. 2025
Tents selling fireworks all over the county are opening and the telltale pops, booms and bangs can be heard far and wide leading up to Independence Day.
—Andy Humbles, The Tennessean, 22 June 2024
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
Noun
Check for telltale thinning at the crown and temples; broken, frizzy bits at ear and chin level; as well as shorter strands at the nape of the neck that look shredded or wispy.
—Philipp Wehsack, Vogue, 30 Jan. 2025
After two months, there was an average 45% increase in new eyelash growth without the telltale darkening of skin and eye color that often comes with PGA formulas.
—Arden Fanning Andrews, Vogue, 17 Jan. 2025
Tents selling fireworks all over the county are opening and the telltale pops, booms and bangs can be heard far and wide leading up to Independence Day.
—Andy Humbles, The Tennessean, 22 June 2024
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for telltale
Adjective
-
Hertha is covered by dark rocks that were shock-blackened, indicative of an unusually violent collision.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
19 Mar. 2025
-
Their presence is indicative of a healthy, functioning ecosystem—a balance increasingly disrupted by anthropogenic pressures.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes,
17 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Prosecutors say some of that information, including details on informants and sensitive investigations, was included in his unpublished manuscript.—
Hannah Parry,
Newsweek,
20 Mar. 2025
-
Before a warrant is issued, an officer must attest that the request for it is not based on information from informants who have provided false information that has led to negative raids in the past, the bill states.—
Jeremy Gorner,
Chicago Tribune,
19 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
William, 42, sported the camouflage fatigues reflective of his role as Colonel-in-Chief of the Merican Regiment, an Army unit involved there, to hear about how the soldiers are securing NATO's eastern flank as part of Operation Cabrit.—
Janine Henni,
People.com,
21 Mar. 2025
-
Stock performance is not reflective of the value of an economy on an absolute level, said TradeStation’s Russell.—
John Towfighi,
CNN,
21 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Send your questions, comments and gossip to LAontheRecord@latimes.com.—
Dakota Smith,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Mar. 2025
-
Entertainment gossip and news from Newsweek's network of contributors Jenna Bush Hager and her husband, Henry Hager, may be happily in love, but their son could do without their public displays of affection.—
Ron Estes,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
The Ukrainian soldiers began to see Russian civilians as a hindrance — or worse, as potential informers who could give away their positions.—
Ekaterina Bodyagina Nanna Heitmann,
New York Times,
12 Feb. 2025
-
The arrests were part of wide-ranging Establishment attacks on the new generation of pop stars in Britain at the time, done through connivance with informers and a hostile conservative media.—
Bill Wyman,
Vulture,
30 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
Miami-Dade is the canary in the Florida coal mine for Democrats, where Republican strength signals much wider problems.—
Douglas Hanks,
Miami Herald,
26 Feb. 2025
-
This almost never happened with the canaries, who removed the husk with extraordinary diligence and skill.—
Maja Mielke,
JSTOR Daily,
20 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
The researchers studied their formulation in rats over 97 days, and found more than 85% of the medication intact in the depot under their skin.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
25 Mar. 2025
-
In January, the Food and Drug Administration banned the use of Red Dye No. 3 in food, beverages and drugs, saying the synthetic dye was found to cause cancer in lab rats.—
Ana Ceballos,
Miami Herald,
25 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Telltale.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/telltale. Accessed 3 Apr. 2025.
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