pray tell

idiom

old-fashioned

—used for emphasis to demand an answer when asking someone for a reason, explanation, etc.

Why should I trust them, pray tell?

What were you doing, pray tell?

Examples of pray tell in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web But what real person, pray tell, has their sister go missing for more than a complete Chinese zodiac cycle, only to spur of the moment visit a derelict prison… with an almost dead flashlight… in the middle of the night? —

Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 21 July 2024 And how, pray tell, are those high-up chandeliers being set aflame? —

Matt Webb Mitovich, TVLine, 5 July 2024 So what, pray tell, awaits us as far as vibes for Colin and Pen? —

Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 16 May 2024 What, pray tell, Joe, did the liberal media fail to report? —

Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 18 Feb. 2024 And why, pray tell, did Stanford not tell Anthony directly? —

Nick Romano, EW.com, 17 Aug. 2023 Who, pray tell, were John Heminges and Henry Condell? —

John Anderson, WSJ, 14 Nov. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pray tell.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.