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
Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of telltale
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
Noun
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for telltale
Adjective
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The vote is indicative of Asian Americans’ rightward shift toward tougher crime policies like much of the state, analysts say.Kimmy Yam, NBC News, 13 Nov. 2024
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Each frame in the animation covers two days, and the black circle is indicative of an expanding area that sees no sunlight as winter progresses.Tom Yulsman, Discover Magazine, 8 Nov. 2024
Noun
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After receiving information from this informant, authorities were able to test Gonzalez’s DNA against the Gatorade bottle and airbags in the car, when Gonzalez was arrested in an unrelated car theft investigation last April, according to court records.Jakob Rodgers, The Mercury News, 7 Nov. 2024
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Intentionally or not, this makes Cal’s conversation with Armand, his unwilling informant inside Dwight’s organization, harder to take seriously.Sean T. Collins, Vulture, 20 Oct. 2024
Adjective
-
For example, bullet journaling, reflective journaling, junk journaling, gratitude journaling and freewriting.Noma Nazish, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024
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That’s reflective of the current Pope Francis, who’s been largely commended for his liberal viewpoints.Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 1 Nov. 2024
Noun
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Entertainment gossip and news from Newsweek's network of contributors Tyka Nelson, Prince's only full sibling and a talented musician in her own right, has died at age 64.Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024
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The celebrity break-up has, for a long time, been the coup de maître of tabloid and internet gossip.Daisy Jones, Vogue, 5 Nov. 2024
Noun
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Given the increasingly absurd pretexts the state is using for criminal prosecution and the resounding success of informers of all stripes, the judicial crackdown will continue to worsen.Andrei Kolesnikov, Foreign Affairs, 17 May 2024
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Standing in his way are British spies, French informers and jealous colleagues.Liza Foreman, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Apr. 2024
Noun
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These are the canaries in the coal mine for both parties, highly competitive races in states that report their votes early and quickly.Andrew Solender, Axios, 5 Nov. 2024
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Speaking of comeuppance, Hal was right to flag Dennison’s co-conspirator backing out of the party, as that guy seems to have been the canary in the coalmine.Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 31 Oct. 2024
Noun
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Research published in 2019 showed that levels of DMT in rat brains spike during cardiac arrest, lending some substance to a link between DMT and near-death experiences.Oshan Jarow, Vox, 4 Nov. 2024
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Sharing a few sweet snaps on Instagram, Underwood and Brown matched in chef costumes while Bishop rocked a little rat onesie to recreate the cast of Disney's Ratatouille.Emma Aerin Becker, People.com, 1 Nov. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near telltale
Cite this Entry
“Telltale.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/telltale. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.
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