spell out

present singular third person spells out · participle present spelling out · participle past spelled out · past spelled out · UK participle past spelt out · UK past spelt out

1. transitiveTo form (a word) from letters; say the letters in a word.

   He used Scrabble tiles to spell out “I LOVE YOU”.

2. transitivewhen writing or editingTo replace an abbreviation with its unabbreviated form, such an acronym with its expansion.

   To avoid crypticness for nonexpert readers, she spelled out the phrase, so that "tips about PrEP in the context of OHS for HCPs" became "tips about preexposure prophylaxis in the context of occupational health and safety for health care professionals".

   1 more example

   Spell out and in most cases. Use ampersands only when it is an official part of a name (e.g., Lewis & Clark College), as a design element, or when it is required to save space.

   2012, “Punctuation and Symbols”, in Portland State University: University Communications

3. transitiveTo explain in clear and simple terms; to be explicit.

   Here is a brochure that spells out the benefits.

   2 more examples

   Dany has never had a full vision for what happens once she obtains the Iron Throne, but that’s what her advisors, including Tyrion and Varys, are for. And the show has never exactly spelled out Jon’s platform beyond “stay alive,” so he’d also require a small council.

   2019 May 5, Danette Chavez, “Campaigns are Waged On and Off the Game Of Thrones Battlefield (Newbies)”, in The A.V. Club, archived from the original on 28 Jan 2021

   Last weekend, President Biden’s national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, responded that any nuclear weapon use would result in “catastrophic consequences” for Russia, adding that in private communications with Moscow, the United States had “spelled out” how America and the world would react.

   2022 October 1, David E. Sanger, Anton Troianovski, Julian E. Barnes, “In Washington, Putin’s Nuclear Threats Stir Growing Alarm”, in The New York Times, →ISSN