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
The story Charlottesville tells about itself has long been central to the uplifting one America tells of its beginnings.
—
Deborah Baker
june 3, Literary Hub, 3 June 2025
The story is set in the shadow of an ancient war between dueling gods and tells of a pair of young rival journalists that fall in love while writing each other anonymous letters on an enchanted typewriter.
—Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 3 June 2025
This anthology film tells of three fierce human warriors – a vengeful Viking raider, a ninja in feudal Japan and an Allied pilot in World War II – who face off against a deadly alien hunter with otherworldly weaponry and a mean streak.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 13 May 2025
Days of testimony at Dominguez’s 2023 competency trial, months after the knife rampage, told of a young man in the grips of mental decline.
—Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 27 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tell of
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Deborah Baker
june 3, Literary Hub, 3 June 2025
The story is set in the shadow of an ancient war between dueling gods and tells of a pair of young rival journalists that fall in love while writing each other anonymous letters on an enchanted typewriter.
—Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 3 June 2025
This anthology film tells of three fierce human warriors – a vengeful Viking raider, a ninja in feudal Japan and an Allied pilot in World War II – who face off against a deadly alien hunter with otherworldly weaponry and a mean streak.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 13 May 2025
Days of testimony at Dominguez’s 2023 competency trial, months after the knife rampage, told of a young man in the grips of mental decline.
—Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 27 Apr. 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 13 Jun. 2025.
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