tell apart
To perceive things as different, or to perceive their difference itself; to differentiate, distinguish, discriminate.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“I cannot tell these two identical twins apart.”
“The colors are so similar that it is difficult to tell them apart in this dim light.”
“Even the most experienced experts struggle to tell apart the original masterpiece from the remarkably precise modern forgery.”
- 01
a little bird told me
I received the information from a source which I am not prepared to disclose.
- 02
all told
With everything included, counted, or summed; in total.
- 03
come apart at the seams
Synonym of fall apart.
- 04
don't tell me
Used to introduce a guess at a fact or situation, as if forestalling the other speaker's utterance.
- 05
drift apart
To lose contact, to lose one's friendship or closeness.
- 06
fall apart
To be emotionally in crisis.
- 07
grow apart
To gradually become estranged.
- 08
I can tell you
Emphasises the truth of a statement.
Last updated August 10, 2026