tell tales
The phrase "tell tales" is often used in British English to describe the act of revealing secrets, gossiping, or making false accusations.
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🇬🇧 UK Voice:
Definition
B2General
(informal)To reveal secrets or private information about someone.
Example
- She was upset because her friend told tales about her private life.
B2General
(informal)To gossip or spread rumors about others.
Example
- He's known for telling tales and stirring up trouble.
B2British English
(informal, children)To report someone's wrongdoings, often to an authority figure.
Example
- The children were warned not to tell tales on each other.
B2General
(informal)To lie or make false accusations.
Example
- Don't tell tales; be honest about what happened.
Similar
Terms that have similar or relatively close meanings to "tell tales":
tell againsttell ontell alltell the truthtalk storytalk trashdo the talking