Eve swore Minnie to secrecy in hopes that she wouldn't tattle about what they'd done.
Source: tatoeba (9501228)
Tattle
/ˈtæt(ə)l/
Synonyms for "tattle" (144 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (29)
Strong matches (43)
Noun(16 words)
Related words (72)
Verb(14 words)
narcnatternewsnewsmongeringpeachpiece of gossipprateprattleratretail gossiprevealreveal a secretrumblerumorscuttlebuttsell outsingsnitchsnitch onspill
Show 19 more words
spill the beanssquealstoolstorytaletalebearingtaletellingtalktattle ontelltell idle talestell ontell secretstell talestestify againsttittle tattletittle-tattleturn informerword
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: accusation, babble, babble, babble out, back-fence gossip.
- Sentence evidence is available for tattle, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from opengloss, moby, wordnet, derived_reverse, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "tattle".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "tattle"
Keep "tattle" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "tattle" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "tattle", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "tattle" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
29 entriesbreakbring outcommunicationdisclosedisclosurediscoverdivulgeexposegive awayinforminformantinformationlet onlet outmouthperson
Showing 16 of 29 words.
More specific
10 entriesair private mattersname to authoritiesoffice snitchofficial reportreport wrongdoingschoolyard tattlerschoolyard tattlingshare confidencesspill secretstestify
Collocations
10 entriesblabbermouthinformal tattleinformantschoolyard tattlingsnitchtattle reporttattle to authoritytattletaletattlingwhistleblower
Inflections
3 entriesDerivations
3 entriessimilar
2 entriesSample sentences
14 total sentences available.
What little girl didn't tattle to her mother about the naughty things the boys were doing?
Source: tatoeba (12056811)
He were an excellent man that were made iuſt in the mid-way between him and Benedick, the one is too like an image and ſaies nothing, and the other too like my ladies eldeſt ſonne, euermore tatling.
Source: wiktionary
By this time, My Lord, I doubt not but that you wonder, why I have run off from my Biaſs ſo long together, and made ſo tedious a Digreſſion from Satire to Heroique Poetry. But if You will not excuſe it, by the tattling Quality of Age, which, as Sir William Davenant ſays, is always Narrative; yet I hope the uſefulneſs of what I have to ſay on this Subject, will qualifie the remoteneſs of it; […]
Source: wiktionary
Showing 4 of 14 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "tattle"?
Closest matches include accusation, babble, babble, babble out, back-fence gossip.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "tattle"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.