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Glite Dictionary
to come out in the wash

to come out in the wash

2 7.0
A secret or problem becomes known later
  • idiom
  • Informal
translation icon : salir a la luz
  • I guess it'll all come out in the wash eventually.

Examples

  • The rest'll come out in the wash.

    AstroVan (2025)

  • - It all comes out in the wash.

    Mommie Dearest (1981)

  • The problem is that this very call may be one that comes out in the wash.

    Blog text (20)

  • But you know, it came out in the wash because they didn't continue on that path.

  • Eventually (slowly), the whole thing comes out in the wash due to actual inflation.

    Blog text (33)

  • It all came out in the wash, didn't it?

    Oscar (1991)

  • Eventually, everything that was hidden will come out in the wash and be revealed.

  • I'm sure the truth will come out in the wash when we investigate further.

  • People often say that what is done in secret will eventually come out in the wash.

Synonyms

to come out
vsto come out in the wash
830 2.9

To become known to people after being hidden

leads to resolution or settlement over time rather than only revealing facts
to come to light
vsto come out in the wash
52 3.9

To become known after being hidden

emphasizes resolution or settling of the issue over time rather than only discovery
to come to daylight
vsto come out in the wash
5.1

To become known after being hidden

involves eventual solving or settling of the matter rather than only exposure

Antonyms

unresolved
56 4.4

A problem or question that is still not solved

concealed
5 3.7

Hidden so people cannot see it

Surface Forms

come out in the wash infinitive
came out in the wash past
come out in the wash past participle
coming out in the wash present participle
comes out in the wash third person singular

Morphology

come + out + in + the + wash

There is a partial connection: 'come out' can mean 'be revealed' and 'in the wash' evokes a process that removes or settles things, so a motivated learner might guess a sense of something being sorted out. However, the laundry metaphor is idiomatic and the full sense 'be revealed or resolved in the end' is not reliably derivable from the literal parts by a B1 learner without prior exposure.

Etymology

The phrase come out in the wash comes from washing clothes: dirt and stains often come out when you put clothes in the wash. So, if something 'comes out in the wash', it means the problem or secret will be 'revealed' or 'sorted out' later.