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

See Examples For:

spell out

The main opposition Conservative Party said any help was welcome but called on Burnham to spell out how he planned to pay for the measure, due to come into force in April 2027.

From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026

It wouldn’t hurt for the Fed to spell out now where the line is, and how it plans to stay on one side in some future crisis.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026

In the center of the wall, just behind the coach’s desk, white block letters spell out “Why Not” above a script “U.S.,” which, despite the periods, is meant to be read as “us.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 25, 2026

She didn’t spell out what this all meant, but it seemed to imply that Erika was raised to be a Project Looking Glass agent assigned to handle Charlie.

From Slate ● Feb. 27, 2026

Emily opened the book and saw that James had circled consecutive letter corrections in order to spell out the words fort, wild, and home.

From "Book Scavenger" by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman

Related Words

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