tell on

English

Verb

tell on (third-person singular simple present tells on, present participle telling on, simple past and past participle told on)

  1. (usually childish) To inform on, to rat out; to tell a person in authority that someone else has done something wrong.
    Synonym: (archaic) bewray
    My sister told on me when I didn't go to school.
  2. To cause visible strain to.
    Years of drinking started to tell on his body.

Translations

See also

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