tell on
IdiomsExample Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“I think it’s really about inflation, and Friday is going to be the big tell on that front,” said Emily Roland, co-chief investment strategist at Manulife John Hancock Investment Management.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 8, 2026
The final product is not that — there are stories that I tell on the record, but every song is not a story song.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 1, 2026
My daughter loved—and believed—the mythical stories Bruce would tell on stage about how his saxophonist buddy Clarence Clemons, who he dubbed “The Big Man,” joined the band.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 24, 2025
"It's the play that tells the exact story that I want this national theatre company to be able to tell, on the second biggest stage in Europe," he added.
From BBC ● Sep. 16, 2025
“John dragged me to some high school party. Our dad’s out of town, and John’s supposed to be watching me. He’s gonna get so in trouble when I tell on him.”
From "The House That Lou Built" by Mae Respicio
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
