spell out
Britishverb
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to make clear, distinct, or explicit; clarify in detail
let me spell out the implications
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to read laboriously or with difficulty, working out each word letter by letter
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to discern by study; puzzle out
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Make plain, clarify, as in We asked her to spell out her objectives . [c. 1940]
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Read slowly and laboriously, as in He was only six but he managed to spell out the instructions . [Early 1800s]
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Puzzle out, manage to understand with some effort, as in It took years before anyone could spell out the inscriptions on the Rosetta Stone . [Late 1600s] All three usages transfer spell in the sense of “proceed letter by letter.”
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
It contends the devices bypass a 2016 state law that spells out how law enforcement agencies can use automated license plate readers, which are often referred to as ALPRs.
From Los Angeles Times
But government lawyers say the tax code never spelled out whose “intent to evade” matters.
From MarketWatch
Twenty minutes passed, when according to Leah, the raps spelled out, “We will now bid you farewell.”
From Literature
There are many reasons employers want to hire young people and your cover letter can spell out what you bring, adds Bosworth.
From BBC
Moore has also tried to walk a fine line on the LAFD’s after-action report, which was meant to spell out mistakes and suggest measures to avoid repeating them.
From Los Angeles Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
