tell-on
Chunk: tell on
Meaning & Usage
To tell on someone means to report their bad behavior to an authority figure. This phrase is heavily associated with children reporting on their siblings or classmates to a parent or teacher.
🧲 Common Collocates
- Structure:
tell on + Person + (to + Authority) - Contexts: tell on me, going to tell on you, siblings telling on each other.
💬 Contextual Examples
- If you hit me again, I am going to tell on you to mom!
- He begged his little sister not to tell on him for breaking the vase.
- Nobody likes a student who constantly tells on their classmates.
🎴 Interactive Web Practice
Practice 1: If you don't give my toy back, I'm going to tell ______ you!
Answer:
on Practice 2: Please don't ______ on me; I promise I won't do it again.
Answer:
tell Practice 3: She told on her brother ______ the teacher for cheating on the test.
Answer:
to