TELLING (ON) Synonyms: 85 Similar and Opposite Words

telling (on)

verb

Definition of telling (on)

present participle of tell (on)

as in affecting

to act upon (a person or a person's feelings) so as to cause a response the pressure of final exams is beginning to tell on the students in the dorm

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in talking

to give information (as to the authorities) about another's improper or unlawful activities detectives convinced the perpetrators in custody to tell on their associates

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for telling (on)

Verb

Sanders, who spoke alongside el Sayed in Grand Rapids, said Trump’s attacks on the Democratic candidate were rooted in Islamophobia because Republicans have little to say about the issues affecting working families.

— Barnini Chakraborty, The Washington Examiner, 26 Oct. 2026
Executives with the authority to make decisions affecting cybersecurity must carry appropriate accountability for those decisions.

— JC Gaillard, Forbes.com, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of affecting

Verb

As voters decide which party can best rescue their chance at the American Dream, political experts say prolonged economic hardship is the defining feature influencing voters in the midterms.

— Amy L. Wong, Washington Post, 27 Oct. 2026
Technical knowledge can be taught and examined but the skills Freebairn values most, such as influencing, persuading, and negotiating, cannot.

— Sam Birchall, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of influencing

Verb

While generative AI creates content, agentic AI can execute tasks and pursue objectives, moving AI from informing work to increasingly performing it.

— Jo Debecker, Forbes.com, 26 Oct. 2026
Ukraine's Ministry of Defense sources said SpaceX had unilaterally imposed the Starshield restrictions without informing them beforehand.

— Aidan Stretch, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of informing

Verb

After stepping into a bigger role with most of the Heat’s rotation regulars out and impressing in Saturday night’s preseason loss to the Timberwolves, Conwell again made some positive plays on Wednesday.

— Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 15 Oct. 2026
The interior walls are patterned with motifs ranging from grapevines to geometric forms made by impressing food containers into the concrete.

— Tim Hornyak, New York Times, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of impressing

Verb

Water is also impacted by climate change, as extreme weather causes both droughts and floods, causing loss of life and impacting livelihoods in fields including cotton agriculture.

— Sarah Jones, Footwear News, 28 Oct. 2026
Gassman highlighted that higher tides are impacting new locations, including the Himarshee district near downtown and Mayan Drive near the beach.

— Joan Murray, CBS News, 28 Oct. 2026

Definition of impacting

Verb

Start the next piping at the base touching the first zigzag, and repeat the process until the sides are completed.

— Mary Shannon Wells, Southern Living, 25 Oct. 2026
Amenities and experiences The hotel is very much integrated into the neighborhood, with its three restaurants on street level and open to the public, and the High Line running just through—though never touching—the building.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of touching

Verb

Earlier Friday, the Guard's navy said three other tankers caught fire after striking mines in the strait, Iranian state TV reported.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 31 Oct. 2026
What stands out most prominently is its striking exterior, featuring Art Nouveau details, masonry turrets, and private front terraces.

— Rachel Freundt, Chicago Tribune, 30 Oct. 2026

Definition of striking

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

telling off

telling (on)

tell (of)

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“Telling (on).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/telling%20%28on%29. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of telling (on)

verb

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