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tell on

tell on

 
See:
tell
part of speech: phrase
definition 1: to reveal the bad behavior of (someone) to a person in authority.
If I ever did anything wrong, my little sister would always tell on me to my mother.You're a rat! I can't believe you told on me!
definition 2: to make a visible, usually negative, impact on (someone or something).
Poverty told on the faces of the workers.Harsh winters told on the body of my car.