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

A joint fact sheet outlining the accord—which didn’t spell out a timeline for legislative approval—arrived in November.

From The Wall Street Journal

He typed in the formula again, this time adding an E between the structure for sulfur and nitrogen so it spelled out C191H173O21S5EN3.

From Literature

Many journalistic outlets that reported the story, including Salon, spelled out the specifics within the first paragraph or two.

From Salon

The after-action report was meant to spell out mistakes, which included not fully pre-deploying engines to the Palisades amid forecasts of dangerously high winds, and to suggest measures to avoid repeating them.

From Los Angeles Times

Any capital costs should, as a standard procedure, be paid by the remaindermen — in this case, your husband’s children who will ultimately inherit the property — and they should be spelled out in the legal document.

From MarketWatch

Related Words

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