I can't tell her now. It's not that simple anymore.
Source: tatoeba (1370)
Tell
/[tʰɔː]/
Synonyms for "tell" (407 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (82)
acknowledgeacquaintadmitadvertiseadvertise ofadviseaffectairallegorizeamount to somethingannounceappriseapprovearguearticulateascertainassertasseverateattestaver
Show 55 more words
babblebarebarrowbe effectivebe featuredbe influentialbe persuasivebe prominentbe somebodybe somethingberatebespeakbetokenbetraybidblabbreakbreak it tobreak the newsbreathebriefbring outbring to lightbring wordbroadcastcall offcall overcall the rollcarry weightcastigatecensurecensuschargechew outchidechimechime inchoruschroniclecitecluecome home tocome out withcommandcommunicateconfessconfideconfide toconfirmconnotecontendconveycountcut icecut some ice
Verb(4 words)
Noun(3 words)
Strong matches (122)
declaredelineatedeliverdemonstratedenotedepictdescribedeterminedictatedifferentiatedirectdiscerndisclosediscoverdiscriminatedisplaydisseminatedistinguishdivulgatedivulge
Show 80 more words
emitenjoinenlightenenumerateenunciateevidenceevinceevulgateexhibitexplainexpressfablefabulizefamiliarizefictionalizefillfill infling offfoliateforecastforeseeforetellformulatefurnish evidenceget acrossget overget top billinggivegive a reportgive awaygive expressiongive indication ofgive noticegive outgive out withgive the factsgive tidings ofgive tonguegive utterancegive vent togive voicegive wordgo to showhand onhavehave an inhave full playhave influencehave personalityhave pullheraldhillockhint athithit the markhumpidentifyillustrateimpartimplyimportimpressimpress forciblyindicateinforminstructintimateinvolveknowknow againleakleave wordlecturelet get aroundlet in onlet knowlet onlet outlet sliplip
Noun(14 words)
differentiatedisclosediscriminatedistinguishearthworkemergency policy relatedgiveawayshillinarticulately whisperedindicationindicatorinforminformingintimates
Verb(7 words)
Adjective(1 words)
Related words (203)
make an impressionmake knownmake outmanifestmarkmattermeasurementionmention tomilitatemoundmouthmythicizemythifymythologizenailnarratenotifynovelizenumber
Show 127 more words
numerateorderout withoutlinepagepaginatepasspass alongpass onpeachpegperceivephonatephraseplacepoint topollportraypostpour forthpredictpresentproclaimpronounceprophesypublishputput forthput in wordsquantifyquantizeraiseratrealizerebukerecall knowledge ofreciterecognizerecountrefer torehearsereidentifyrelatereleaserenderreportreprimandreproachreproverequireretellrevealrockromancerumorrun oversayscoldsendsend wordserve noticeset forthshareshare withshowshow signs ofsignalsignalizesignifysingsink insmitesoundspeakspeak for itselfspeak volumesspillspill the beansspinspotsqueaksquealstand outstarstatestorifystrikestrike hardstrike homesuggestswearsymptomatizetake to tasktaletalktallytattletattle ontell a storytell offtell ontend to showthrow offthrow outtick offtouch ontransfertransmittraumatizetrumpettumulusuncoverunderstandunfold a taleunveilutterventventilateverbalizeversevocalizevoicewarnweighwhisperwordwrite up
Verb(25 words)
Noun(30 words)
more sharedmoundnarratingnarrative accountnarrative featureoutpresent informationrecognizerecount itemsrecountingrecountsrelaterelates to issuereport resultsrevealsaysettlement moundsharessharingsignal
Show 10 more words
Adjective(1 words)
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: acknowledge, acquaint, admit, advertise, advertise of.
- Sentence evidence is available for tell, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from moby, wiktionary, 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 "tell".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "tell"
Keep "tell" 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 "tell" 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 "tell", 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 "tell" 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
28 entriesShowing 16 of 28 words.
More specific
12 entriesbehavioral tellbronze age telldiscriminatedistinguishidentifyinformnarrateneolithic tellnotifypoker tellrelatereveal
Collocations
12 entriesarchaeological tellbehavioral tellbronze age tellpoker telltell a lietell a storytell moundtell sitetell someone abouttell the differencetell the truthtell time
Inflections
3 entriesDerivations
6 entriessimilar
1 entriesSample sentences
43 total sentences available.
You wanted to tell me about freedom?
Source: tatoeba (1410)
If I wanted to scare you, I would tell you what I dreamt about a few weeks ago.
Source: tatoeba (1412)
"To tell you the truth, I am scared of heights." "You are a coward!"
Source: tatoeba (1511)
Showing 4 of 43 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "tell"?
Closest matches include acknowledge, acquaint, admit, advertise, advertise of.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "tell"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.
More for "tell"
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