telling on
Informing against someone
Telling on someone is reporting their wrongdoing to an authority—a parent, teacher, or boss: I'm telling on you!
The phrase carries childish connotations; adults more often say "report" or "inform." Separately, something telling on you is taking a visible toll: The long hours are telling on her health.
- snitchingInforming on someone
- dead giveawayUnmistakably revealing evidence
- confessingAdmitting to a fault
- bearing witnessObserving and later attesting
- informingConveying facts to another
tattling · betraying · whistleblowing · implicating · pointing fingers · exposing · blush · finger-pointing · divulging · glare · accusing · gossiping · loose lips · ratting out · spilling the beans · disclosing · alerting · notifying
telling onkeeping quiet
Remaining silent
concealing · keeping mum · hushing up · hiding · looking the other way
telling oncovering for
having someone's back · protecting · shielding · standing by · backing up