there's no telling

Idioms  

1. It's impossible to determine, as in There's no telling how many children will come down with measles, or There's no telling what will happen in the next episode of that soap opera. This idiom uses telling in the sense of “reckoning,” a usage dating from the late 1300s.

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

there's no telling

Watch the Timmy takeover at the Comedy Store, where lines will be crossed and there’s no telling how many jackets he’ll show up in, Tonnnnyyy!

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 29, 2026

Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are extremely volatile, and there’s no telling whether the reserve gamble will end up being a net gain for taxpayers.

From Barron's ● Feb. 6, 2026

From Seagate’s and Western Digital’s perspectives, there’s no telling when demand could slow or change, Klein said.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 26, 2025

And while both sides seem to be itching for a fight, there's no telling when, or how, this fight will end.

From BBC ● Sep. 29, 2025

The man’s clothes are tattered and so dirty there’s no telling what color they were originally.

From "Challenger Deep" by Neal Shusterman