tell
verb (used with object)
to give an account or narrative of; narrate; relate (a story, tale, etc.).
were telling
-
past progressiveof tell.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
This isn’t spewed gibberish: They were telling each other things.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026
Cruise avoids the personal by making his work inextricable from his life, thereby asking the reader to perform a clever thought exercise: What if Tom Cruise were telling the truth?
From Salon ● Sep. 17, 2026
Some military bases around the country were telling soldiers not to wear their uniforms outside the wire.
From Slate ● Jun. 24, 2026
She said: "They were telling the truth and they were slandered. There were too many lies at the start, so I'm glad it's all come out."
From BBC ● Jun. 11, 2026
“What was it you were telling me about Cowslip? Did you say he told Fiver to be quiet?”
From "Watership Down: A Novel" by Richard Adams
