telegraph
To show clearly what you will do or how you feel, often without wanting to, so other people can guess it.
To make your future action, plan, or feelings obvious to others, often without meaning to, so they can easily guess what you will do.
An old way to send written messages far away using electric signals and wires.
An old communication system that sent written messages over long distances by using electrical signals along wires, decoded at the other end.
A written message that people in the past sent using the telegraph system.
A written message that is sent using the telegraph system; a telegram.
To send a written message in the old way using the telegraph system.
To send a written message using the telegraph system, transmitting it as electrical signals along wires.
- Base: telegraph
- Plural: telegraph, telegraphs
- Base: telegraph
- 3rd Person Singular: telegraphs
- Present Participle: telegraphing
- Past: telegraphed
telegraph one's punches
1make a planned move obvious early
To make it clear what you are going to do before you do it, especially in a fight, sport, or competition, so the other side can easily react.
- The fighter keeps telegraphing his punches, so his opponent can dodge them easily.
- In negotiations, you should not telegraph your punches by revealing your bottom line too soon.
- The team telegraphed their punches by talking openly about their draft plans on social media.