tell of
phrasal verb
told of; telling of; tells of
formal + literary
1
: to be evidence of (something) : to indicate
Her smile told of her good news.
His rough hands tell of a hard life.
2
: to describe (something) : to make the details of (something) known
The article tells of her Arctic journey.
3
: to talk to (someone) about (something)
He told us of his plans to move to the city.
Examples of tell of in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Once players were told of their new starting times, all 20 spots at the driving range filled up quickly.
—
Arkansas Online, 26 Oct. 2025
Children’s first story arc told of a town plagued by monsters that feast on children, with one teen survivor telling tales that no adult believes.
—Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 24 Oct. 2025
Fruits Basket tells of Tohru Honda, who's living in a tent after a family tragedy when she's discovered by the mysterious Soma clan.
—Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 23 Oct. 2025
Cameroonian myths tell of lakes that suddenly shift location, rise, sink, or explode.
—Literary Hub, 22 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tell of
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.
Arkansas Online, 26 Oct. 2025
Children’s first story arc told of a town plagued by monsters that feast on children, with one teen survivor telling tales that no adult believes.
—Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 24 Oct. 2025
Fruits Basket tells of Tohru Honda, who's living in a tent after a family tragedy when she's discovered by the mysterious Soma clan.
—Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 23 Oct. 2025
Cameroonian myths tell of lakes that suddenly shift location, rise, sink, or explode.
—Literary Hub, 22 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tell of
Cite this Entry
“Tell of.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tell%20of. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share