tell on

English[edit]

tell on (third-person singular simple present tells on, present participle telling on, simple past and past participle told on)

(usually childish) To inform on, to rat out; to tell a person in authority that someone else has done something wrong.
Synonym: (archaic) bewray

My sister told on me when I didn't go to school.
- 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, 1 Samuel 27:11:
  Lest they should tell on us, saying, So did David.
To cause visible strain to.
Years of drinking started to tell on his body.

to tell someone that someone else has done something wrong