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
ArsTechnica, 2 May 2026
The telltale signature of abundant dust lies within the galaxy’s continuum of ultraviolet light, which has a relatively flat slope as a result of absorption from the dust.
—Jenna Ahart, Scientific American, 30 Apr. 2026
The telltale sign is not just who can help in the regular season, but who can help in the playoffs.
—Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 30 Apr. 2026
Before Banksy confirmed the piece was his, Londoners and tourists had already begun gathering around the statue, taking the signature on its base as a telltale clue.
—Paloma Chavez, PEOPLE, 30 Apr. 2026
The only telltale signs of the electronics hidden in the temples are a single power button, a four-contact connector, pinhole microphones, and thin speaker grille slits.
—Will Greenwald, PC Magazine, 29 Apr. 2026
The venomous coral snake does not have the telltale arrowhead shape and can often be confused with the nonvenomous kingsnake.
—Cody Godwin, USA Today, 27 Apr. 2026
There, Kerss, with a telltale red light on his zipper (the only way to set him apart from all the other hooded beings out there), uses a green laser pointer to direct our eyes up toward the sky.
—Heather Greenwood Davis, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 Apr. 2026
Most recover after a high fever, cough, runny nose and a telltale rash.
—ABC News, 27 Apr. 2026
Michael Van Runkle, Robb Report, 1 May 2026
However, when outflows from young stars strike surrounding molecular clouds, shockwaves are created that heat matter and cause molecular hydrogen to emit telltale emissions.
—Robert Lea, Space.com, 30 Nov. 2025
That was a big telltale for the song.
—Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 19 Sep. 2025
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
The only telltale is the small 350e badge on the back.
—Nina Turner, Newsweek, 29 Oct. 2024
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 initial telltale symptom of the plague is an extremely swollen lymph node, according to Adalja.
—Melissa Rudy, Fox News, 16 Feb. 2024
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
Adjective
So the team measured carbon-14 in asunaro wood in the region and discovered the telltale spikes of an SPE.
—ArsTechnica, 2 May 2026
The telltale signature of abundant dust lies within the galaxy’s continuum of ultraviolet light, which has a relatively flat slope as a result of absorption from the dust.
—Jenna Ahart, Scientific American, 30 Apr. 2026
The telltale sign is not just who can help in the regular season, but who can help in the playoffs.
—Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 30 Apr. 2026
Before Banksy confirmed the piece was his, Londoners and tourists had already begun gathering around the statue, taking the signature on its base as a telltale clue.
—Paloma Chavez, PEOPLE, 30 Apr. 2026
The only telltale signs of the electronics hidden in the temples are a single power button, a four-contact connector, pinhole microphones, and thin speaker grille slits.
—Will Greenwald, PC Magazine, 29 Apr. 2026
The venomous coral snake does not have the telltale arrowhead shape and can often be confused with the nonvenomous kingsnake.
—Cody Godwin, USA Today, 27 Apr. 2026
There, Kerss, with a telltale red light on his zipper (the only way to set him apart from all the other hooded beings out there), uses a green laser pointer to direct our eyes up toward the sky.
—Heather Greenwood Davis, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 Apr. 2026
Most recover after a high fever, cough, runny nose and a telltale rash.
—ABC News, 27 Apr. 2026
Noun
Torry’s wife, a speech therapist, noticed concerning telltales that led to a diagnosis 14 years ago, when Torry was only 40 years old.
—Michael Van Runkle, Robb Report, 1 May 2026
However, when outflows from young stars strike surrounding molecular clouds, shockwaves are created that heat matter and cause molecular hydrogen to emit telltale emissions.
—Robert Lea, Space.com, 30 Nov. 2025
That was a big telltale for the song.
—Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 19 Sep. 2025
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
The only telltale is the small 350e badge on the back.
—Nina Turner, Newsweek, 29 Oct. 2024
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 initial telltale symptom of the plague is an extremely swollen lymph node, according to Adalja.
—Melissa Rudy, Fox News, 16 Feb. 2024
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for telltale
Adjective
-
Each instance brought chest bumps and high fives from the Newcastle defenders, indicative of a team that prides itself on overpowering opponents.—
Anantaajith Raghuraman,
New York Times,
4 May 2026
-
Past performance is not indicative of future results.—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
4 May 2026
Noun
-
Celebrity gossiper Rob Shuter reported that the two recently let go of a number of their staff.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
3 Sep. 2025
-
Her staff figured out how to get rid of the gossiper.—
Ronda Racha Penrice,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
In addition to ignoring glaring inconsistencies in the sole eyewitness account, Kuby said prosecutors illegally hid from the defense benefits provided to the girl’s mom and buried evidence identifying the true killer provided by informants, who came forward years after the trial.—
Molly Crane-Newman,
New York Daily News,
28 Apr. 2026
-
In another case, the SPLC said intel from the informant program was passed to law enforcement and led to the conviction of a man who lied about his ties to a white supremacist group while requesting national security clearance.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The youngins also want a yacht that is design-forward and reflective of their taste.—
Rachel Cormack,
Robb Report,
2 May 2026
-
The move feels reflective of the state of things.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
1 May 2026
Noun
-
Internet celebrity gossip hound Perez Hilton is about to take heat from the LIBS over this one.—
Joe Kinsey OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
6 May 2026
-
Today’s Four Seasons Hotel Boston is less known as a clandestine spot for vetting gossip and more about modern luxury.—
Cameron Sperance,
Travel + Leisure,
3 May 2026
Noun
-
And so every regime invests in having student informers.—
Anne Applebaum,
The Atlantic,
23 Jan. 2026
-
The whole family is deeply involved in the revolutionary movement: the oldest son disappears into Siberia, never to be seen or heard of again, while the youngest, eighteen, is jailed together with his father, and executed after his cell is exposed by an informer.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
22 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
These include helium circulators, turbines, steam generators, pumps, and instrumentation and controls for the reactor’s power and heat generation.—
Ameya Paleja,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Constitutional concerns helped tank a bill Tuesday in the South Dakota House of Representatives that aimed to ban payments to petition circulators in ballot measure campaigns.—
John Hult,
States Newsroom,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The canary for the royal coal mine was the hot equerry.—
Elise Taylor,
Vanity Fair,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Kristen Wile of Unpretentious Palate kindly offered me a bite of her toothsome barbacoa entree, wrapped in a collard leaf and served with mayocoba (a creamy, yellow-green canary bean) and a red and green salsa duo.—
Heidi Finley,
Charlotte Observer,
28 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Telltale.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/telltale. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
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