in the open
104
2.5
- idiom
:
abiertamente
- We bring it out in the open even if we have been through it all before.
Soon, troops start to form ranks in the open spaces of the camp.
- Soon, troops start to form ranks in the open spaces of the camp.
- And for them to do what they did to him pretty much in the open and get away with it.
- It's been not transparent, but it's out in the open.
- The facts are out there in the open and syphilis is another germ theory fantasy.
- We, we, we'd catch the Vietcong or Nva N Vietnamese Army out in the open.
- And what they told the jury was, oh, he's committing insider trading brazenly in the open.
- When you are willing to be brave and put it out there and discuss it out in the open.
- And you can see that all they're doing is doing things in secret that Once Upon a time they were doing in the open before it became unacceptable.
- Right now what's happening is we see the news and then we go online and we vent our anger or express our sadness in the open for the world to see, right.
Examples
-
I make it a point to get everything out in the open with her.
Fiction book (1991) -
Trish thought it was a good idea to have this chat out in the open, in front of everyone.
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But, oh, it's all coming out in the open, huh?
-
And for them to do what they did to him pretty much in the open and get away with it.
-
These guys can protect us out in the open.
-
A place to be ourselves where we can live as we believe out in the open.
-
That means that decisions about the age appropriateness of material have to be made out in the open, not behind closed doors.
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Trust me, I know they're looking at me and thinking about it, so let's just get it out in the open.
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We don't mind sleeping in the open or hunting game for our suppers.
Fiction book (1998) -
It's important to discuss our issues out in the open rather than keeping them hidden.
Synonyms
∞
1.0
Open or available to everyone, not private
575
1.2
In a way that everyone can see or know
339
1.0
Other people can see or hear you
303
1.6
To say or do things without hiding feelings
38
2.7
Easily seen because it is not hidden
36
3.7
In an open and public way
5
3.7
Clearly visible to everyone
1
3.5
Easy for everyone to see
Antonyms
How Public
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase combines the locative preposition 'in' + definite article 'the' with 'open' (not closed, allowing view), so a learner can infer a location/state where things are visible rather than hidden. This compositional locative + adjective pattern is common cross-linguistically, making the sense 'publicly; not concealed' directly understandable to a B1 learner who knows the parts.
Etymology
In the open comes from the image of standing out in a wide open space with no cover, where everyone can see you. That's why it means 'public' or 'not hidden'.