telltale 1 of 2

telltale

2 of 2

noun

1
as in gossiper
a person who habitually reveals personal or sensational facts about others the media's professional telltales have basically decided that today's celebrities have no right to privacy

Synonyms & Similar Words

2

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of telltale
Noun
After two months, there was an average 45% increase in new eyelash growth without the telltale darkening of skin and eye color that often comes with PGA formulas. Arden Fanning Andrews, Vogue, 17 Jan. 2025 Tents selling fireworks all over the county are opening and the telltale pops, booms and bangs can be heard far and wide leading up to Independence Day. Andy Humbles, The Tennessean, 22 June 2024 The only telltale is the small 350e badge on the back. Nina Turner, Newsweek, 29 Oct. 2024 The thief slowly turns the dial, listening for the telltale clicks or resistance that might hint at the inner workings of the safe's gears and reveal its combination. Andy Greenberg, WIRED, 21 June 2020 Photo: Courtesy of Neon Spectators at the crash scene in 1957 reported hearing the telltale hiss of a tire blowing out. Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 22 Jan. 2024 The initial telltale symptom of the plague is an extremely swollen lymph node, according to Adalja. Melissa Rudy, Fox News, 16 Feb. 2024 And in the following days, astronomers saw the telltale reddening of a kilonova in the same spot as the gamma-ray burst. Quanta Magazine, 13 Dec. 2023 Many of them were topped with ominous radar images or a telltale swirl with a colorful eye. Madeleine Marr Miami Herald (tns), al, 23 Aug. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for telltale
Adjective
  • Both teams went deep into their benches to get the final 12 minutes over with, and the Thunder’s reserves frankly missed so many shots that the final score was not indicative of just how lopsided the game was.
    Joe Vardon, The Athletic, 16 Jan. 2025
  • Weekly comparisons for mortgage applications last week are outsized due to the holidays and not indicative of the state of the market.
    Diana Olick, CNBC, 15 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • Revelations that Tarrio had acted as an informant for law enforcement in 2012 and 2014 caused further divides in the group.
    Kristen Waggoner, Newsweek, 21 Jan. 2025
  • The investigation never uncovered evidence of a key claim — that both father and son accepted a bribe — and the former FBI informant who made the claim pleaded guilty last year to fabricating the claim.
    Rebecca Beitsch, The Hill, 20 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • Underwood recently wore a two-piece metallic gown from Rafik Zaki with a reflective silver bodice and a high-low silver skirt for the Songwriters Hall of Fame Induction and Awards Gala 2024.
    Ada Tseng, WWD, 20 Jan. 2025
  • The systems failed to work altogether with the reflective stripes added to either the black or white alternatives.
    Jim Gorzelany, Forbes, 20 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • The puppet performance serves as a grim explanation for Moretti’s motives, as well as a valid confrontation of the media’s abuse of power and privacy in pursuit of celebrity gossip.
    Glenn Garner, Deadline, 28 Jan. 2025
  • Along with a raft of paper-thin caricatures, a roster that includes gossip show host Clara (Juliette Lewis) and online influencer Emily (Stephanie Suganami), Ariel is thrown into what is clearly a bad situation from the jump.
    Chase Hutchinson, IndieWire, 28 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • Given the increasingly absurd pretexts the state is using for criminal prosecution and the resounding success of informers of all stripes, the judicial crackdown will continue to worsen.
    Andrei Kolesnikov, Foreign Affairs, 17 May 2024
  • Standing in his way are British spies, French informers and jealous colleagues.
    Liza Foreman, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Apr. 2024
Noun
  • After the woman delivered a healthy baby boy, her symptoms led to a cancer diagnosis, and doctors theorized that the NIPT had been the canary in the coal mine: Her tumors were shedding abnormal DNA into the bloodstream, which skewed the prenatal test results.
    ByJennifer Couzin-Frankel, science.org, 4 Dec. 2024
  • Cats, however, may turn out to be the canaries in the coalmines — pardon the mixed metaphor.
    Jan Ellen Spiegel, Hartford Courant, 24 Dec. 2024
Noun
  • Shanks brilliantly paces the story out with several pieces of foreshadowing, including a rat king as symbolism for toxic codependency, mirroring a gruesome story Tim tells Millie about his father’s death and his mother’s mental health.
    Glenn Garner, Deadline, 27 Jan. 2025
  • Research has shown that Red No. 3 can cause cancer in laboratory rats when exposed to high levels.
    Brittney Melton, NPR, 21 Jan. 2025

Thesaurus Entries Near telltale

Cite this Entry

“Telltale.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/telltale. Accessed 1 Feb. 2025.

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