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to tell

to tell

688 2.7
Report someone's actions to the police or an authority
  • verb
  • /tɛl/
: delatar
  • After the accident, he decided to tell the police everything he saw.
  • tell the truth
  • tell the police

Examples

Synonyms

to expose
vsto tell
413 4.1

Reveal hidden facts or bad actions to people

is narrower in often targeting an authority or reporting someone
to talk
vsto tell
  • Informal
331 6.1

Tell secrets or private facts because of pressure

is broader and includes voluntary reports to authority or disclosure
to leak
vsto tell
293 4.1

To tell secret information to the public without permission

often refers to reporting privately to an authority rather than public leaking
to disclose
vsto tell
245 4.1

To tell people information that was secret

often implies informing an authority rather than general public disclosure
to tell all
vsto tell
  • Literature
146 5.6

Say all private things about a person or event

can be a single informative act to an authority, not full disclosure
to give away
vsto tell
130 3.4

Tell a secret on purpose or by accident

emphasizes deliberate reporting to authorities more than accidental revelation
to spill
vsto tell
94 4.5

To reveal secret information, often by mistake

includes deliberate informing to authorities as a clear purpose
to rat out
vsto tell
  • Informal
80 8.6

To tell the police or another authority about someone's bad action, betraying their trust

may involve informing but not always the element of betrayal
to let on
vsto tell
  • Informal
68 6.0

To tell a secret or show feelings you were trying to hide

includes deliberate reporting to authorities as one common purpose
to divulge
vsto tell
52 6.2

To tell secret or private information to people

focuses more on informing authorities or reporting someone specifically
to tell on
vsto tell
  • Informal
47 4.4

To report to a person in charge that someone did something wrong so they get in trouble

covers that action but also general reporting or revealing to others
to bear witness
vsto tell
  • Formal
40 4.6

Show that something is true, often by signs or by people saying they saw it

also covers informal or accusatory informing outside formal testimony
to blow the whistle
vsto tell
39 5.1

To tell the authorities or the public about wrongdoing

is broader, meaning any act of informing or reporting someone
to betray
vsto tell
24 4.6

Tell someone's secret to other people

is the neutral act of reporting or giving information, not only betrayal
to testify
vsto tell
18 4.9

To show that something is true with proof

can mean informal reporting to authorities, not only formal evidence giving
to spill the beans
vsto tell
  • Informal
18 6.0

Tell a secret by accident before others know

is more likely an intentional report to an authority
to inform
vsto tell
15 6.8

To secretly tell the police about someone's illegal actions

is broader, meaning to report or reveal information, often to an authority
to breathe a word
vsto tell
  • Informal
13 6.3

To tell someone a secret that should be kept

is focused on reporting information often to an authority
to tattle
vsto tell
  • Informal
10 7.0

Tell a person in charge about someone else's bad actions in a childish way

is a more neutral, adult act of reporting information to authorities
to reveal
vsto tell
7 7.4

Make hidden truth known by a god or spirit

is ordinary human reporting or informing, not supernatural revelation
to peach
vsto tell
  • Archaic
2 9.9

To tell authorities secret information about someone to get them in trouble

can mean reporting without necessarily betraying trust or secrecy
to tell tales out of school
vsto tell
  • Informal
2 8.4

To tell secrets about someone to other people

can mean formally informing an authority rather than mere indiscretion
to blab out
vsto tell
  • Informal
1 7.9

To tell a secret carelessly or without meaning to

is often a conscious act of reporting or informing someone

Antonyms

to withhold
204 5.1

Refuse to give something someone wants or needs

to conceal
179 3.7

To hide something so others cannot see or find it

Idioms

let me tell you
  • Informal
678 4.4

To start a story or show that what follows is important

to tell the truth
  • Informal
292 3.2

To say something that is true even if it is surprising

tell you the truth
  • Informal
265 4.5

Say you are being honest before you speak

time will tell
32 3.3

What happens becomes clear later

pray tell
  • Informal
24 8.8

A polite, often joking way to ask for information after a surprising statement

to tell a tale
14 3.5

Say a story about something that happened or show signs of it

to tell tales out of school
  • Informal
2 8.4

To tell secrets about someone to other people

to tell it to the judge
  • Informal
1 8.7

Make an excuse that nobody believes and only a judge cares about

to tell someone where to shove it
  • Offensive
1 9.9

Rudely say to someone that you want them to go away

to tell it to the marines
  • Archaic
1 9.6

Say you do not believe someone's story

to tell its own tale
1 7.2

To show its history without using words

does Macy's tell Gimbel's?
  • Archaic
9.9

A question people use to show someone would not tell a rival or that something will not happen

piss on my leg and tell me it's raining
  • Offensive
9.9

To lie to someone in an obvious way while expecting them to believe it

Phrasal Verbs

to tell the truth
∞ 2.7

Say what really happened without hiding facts or lying

to tell stories
∞ 1.4

Talk about events, real or imagined, to other people

to tell a story
283 1.1

To describe things that happened, real or made up, to other people

to tell all
  • Literature
146 5.6

Say all private things about a person or event

to tell on
  • Informal
47 4.4

To report to a person in charge that someone did something wrong so they get in trouble

to tell apart
34 3.0

To notice a difference between two similar things

to tell off
  • Informal
20 4.2

To speak angrily to someone for doing something wrong

to tell fortunes
11 7.6

Say what will happen to someone by reading palms, cards, or tea leaves

to tell on
1 6.2

To hurt the body or mind over time

Compounds

tell-all book
  • Literature
6 4.7

A book that reveals private details about people

How Revealing

to betray
24 4.6
to snitch
  • Slang
51 7.9
to tell
688 2.7
to inform
682 1.0
to hint
119 2.0

Surface Forms

tell infinitive
telling present participle
tells third person singular
told past
told past participle

Etymology

Tell comes from old English tellan meaning 'to say' or 'relate', so to tell what happened to the police is to 'say' and reveal the facts to an authority. That's why tell can mean to give evidence or inform on someone.