tell the difference
idiom
: to see how two or more people or things are unlike each other
It's hard to tell the difference between one action movie and another.
The new version is supposed to be much better than the old one, but I can't tell the difference (between them).
Examples of tell the difference in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
How to tell the difference between ladybugs and Asian lady beetles?
Asian lady beetles are slightly larger than ladybugs.
—
Jordan Green, The Tennessean, 25 Oct. 2024
Anti-tank land mines cannot tell the difference between an enemy tank and a civilian car that drives over them, just as smaller anti-personnel mines are unable to distinguish whether they are being triggered by an enemy soldier or a noncombatant.
—John Ismay, New York Times, 3 Dec. 2024
Last year, a study from the University of South Florida concluded that linguists could not tell the difference between text created by AI and text written by humans.
—Derek Newton, Forbes, 30 Nov. 2024
Learning how to have productive conversations The week before Thanksgiving, Sandler's students role-played scenarios like how to have a productive discussion with someone who doesn't believe the truth and how to tell the difference between fact and opinion.
—Cait Bladt, CBS News, 28 Nov. 2024
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Jordan Green, The Tennessean, 25 Oct. 2024
Anti-tank land mines cannot tell the difference between an enemy tank and a civilian car that drives over them, just as smaller anti-personnel mines are unable to distinguish whether they are being triggered by an enemy soldier or a noncombatant.
—John Ismay, New York Times, 3 Dec. 2024
Last year, a study from the University of South Florida concluded that linguists could not tell the difference between text created by AI and text written by humans.
—Derek Newton, Forbes, 30 Nov. 2024
Learning how to have productive conversations The week before Thanksgiving, Sandler's students role-played scenarios like how to have a productive discussion with someone who doesn't believe the truth and how to tell the difference between fact and opinion.
—Cait Bladt, CBS News, 28 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for tell the difference
Dictionary Entries Near tell the difference
Cite this Entry
“Tell the difference.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tell%20the%20difference. Accessed 31 Dec. 2024.
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