tell (someone or something) apart
tell (someone or something) apart
To be able to discern or distinguish two or more people or things that appear or seem similar. This one is real, and this one is the counterfeit—you can tell them apart by the small holographic mark at the top corner of the genuine document. Even our parents sometimes have trouble telling me and my brother apart.
See also: apart, tell
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
tell people or things apart
to distinguish one from another. I can't tell Bob and Bill apart. I find it easy to tell apart Bill and Bob. The two cakes look different, but in taste, I can't tell this one and that one apart.
See also: apart, people, tell, thing
tell things apart
to distinguish one thing or a group of things from another thing or group of things. This one is gold, and the others are brass. Can you tell them apart? Without their labels, I can't tell them apart.
See also: apart, tell, thing
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.
tell apart
Discern or distinguish, as in It's hard to tell the twins apart. [First half of 1900s]
See also: apart, tell
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
tell apart
v.
To perceive something as being different or distinct from something else: I couldn't tell apart the real $20 bill from the counterfeit one. The twins were identical, and we couldn't tell them apart.
See also: apart, tell
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Phrasal Verbs.
- drive (one) out of office
- force (one) out of office
- force out of office
- give (one) (one's) head
- give head
- give somebody their head
- give someone their head
- cooking for one
- 1FTR
- at one go