diff --git a/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/tools/nodetool/GetReplicas.java b/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/tools/nodetool/GetReplicas.java
index 0f9e09810d..5c91d20a7d 100644
--- a/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/tools/nodetool/GetReplicas.java
+++ b/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/tools/nodetool/GetReplicas.java
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ import static org.apache.cassandra.tools.nodetool.CommandUtils.concatArgs;
 @Command(name = "getreplicas", description = "Print the replicas that own the key")
 public class GetReplicas extends AbstractCommand
 {
-    @CassandraUsage(usage = "<keyspace> <table> <key>", description = "The keyspace, the table, and the partition key for which we need to find the replica")
+    @CassandraUsage(usage = "<keyspace> <table> <key>", description = "The keyspace, the table, and the partition key for which we need to find the replica (e.g., pk1:pk2:pk3 for compound keys)")
     private List<String> args = new ArrayList<>();
 
     @Parameters(index = "0", arity = "0..1", description = "The keyspace for which we need to find the replica")
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ public class GetReplicas extends AbstractCommand
     @Parameters(index = "1", arity = "0..1", description = "The table for which we need to find the replica")
     private String table;
 
-    @Parameters(index = "2", arity = "0..1", description = "The partition key for which we need to find the replica")
+    @Parameters(index = "2", arity = "0..1", description = "The partition key for which we need to find the replica (e.g., pk1:pk2:pk3 for compound keys)")
     private String key;
 
     @Mixin
diff --git a/test/resources/nodetool/help/getendpoints b/test/resources/nodetool/help/getendpoints
index 6daeb4c0c4..5c223feb21 100644
--- a/test/resources/nodetool/help/getendpoints
+++ b/test/resources/nodetool/help/getendpoints
@@ -35,4 +35,4 @@ OPTIONS
 
         <keyspace> <table> <key>
             The keyspace, the table, and the partition key for which we need to
-            find the replica
+            find the replica (e.g., pk1:pk2:pk3 for compound keys)
diff --git a/test/resources/nodetool/help/getreplicas b/test/resources/nodetool/help/getreplicas
index 259aebc748..bbe5c109e1 100644
--- a/test/resources/nodetool/help/getreplicas
+++ b/test/resources/nodetool/help/getreplicas
@@ -34,4 +34,4 @@ OPTIONS
 
         <keyspace> <table> <key>
             The keyspace, the table, and the partition key for which we need to
-            find the replica
+            find the replica (e.g., pk1:pk2:pk3 for compound keys)