says

1. express in wordsExamples: "He said that he wanted to marry her"; "tell me what is bothering you"; "state your opinion"Synonyms: say, state, tell

2. report or maintainExamples: "He alleged that he was the victim of a crime"; "He said it was too late to intervene in the war"; "The registrar says that I owe the school money"Synonyms: allege, aver, say

3. express a suppositionExamples: "Let us say that he did not tell the truth"; "Let's say you had a lot of money--what would you do?"Synonyms: say, suppose

4. have or contain a certain wording or formExamples: "The passage reads as follows"; "What does the law say?"Synonyms: read, say

5. give instructions to or direct somebody to do something with authorityExamples: "I said to him to go home"; "She ordered him to do the shopping"; "The mother told the child to get dressed"Synonyms: enjoin, order, say, tell

6. speak, pronounce, or utter in a certain wayExamples: "She pronounces French words in a funny way"; "I cannot say `zip wire'"; "Can the child sound out this complicated word?"Synonyms: articulate, enounce, enunciate, pronounce, say, sound out