- present tense form of tell (3rd person singular).
tells
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Jumping between past and present, the film tells the story of Alex Serian, a cellist who moves to Los Angeles to care for his dying mother and escape an overbearing ex played by Olivia Wilde.
From Barron's ● Oct. 4, 2026
It can mean her social media feed is a bit bland, but she tells BBC Newsbeat "it's worth it for the surprise".
From BBC ● Oct. 3, 2026
As McCarthy tells it, the hunter said he didn’t know, but that he would think about it.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026
"This tells us we need to look for a migratory animal that was common enough in the oceans to leave abundant fossil remains."
From Science Daily ● Oct. 2, 2026
Zara looks back at us and does one of those jerks of her head that tells us to follow her, before she disappears into the throng of people lining the hall, pulled by Beth-not-Shayna.
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
