spell out

British  

verb

1. to make clear, distinct, or explicit; clarify in detail

   let me spell out the implications

2. to read laboriously or with difficulty, working out each word letter by letter

3. to discern by study; puzzle out

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spell out Idioms  

1. Make plain, clarify, as in We asked her to spell out her objectives . [c. 1940]

2. Read slowly and laboriously, as in He was only six but he managed to spell out the instructions . [Early 1800s]

3. Puzzle out, manage to understand with some effort, as in It took years before anyone could spell out the inscriptions on the Rosetta Stone . [Late 1600s] All three usages transfer spell in the sense of “proceed letter by letter.”

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Example Sentences

Estate-planning documents can spell out whether biological children who aren’t known to the family will inherit, overriding state definitions of descendants, said Carole M. Bass, an estate lawyer in New York.

From The Wall Street Journal

But the extent and strength of that response isn’t spelled out, nor is the nature of the U.S.’s role.

From The Wall Street Journal

A petition circulating in recent months asks Washington to spell out its contingency plans in the event of war – a sign of how deep the anxiety runs.

From BBC

Citing murky laws and growing case law, online service HelloPrenup last year added optional clauses to its forms to help couples spell out what happens to embryos in a breakup.

From The Wall Street Journal

Flick brought on Brazilian winger Raphinha in the second half after a spell out injured.

From Barron's

Related Words

• define
• describe
• expound
• illustrate
• justify
• point out