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Glite Dictionary
to let the cat out of the bag

to let the cat out of the bag

4 5.1
To tell a secret that should be kept
  • idiom
  • Informal
: revelar un secreto
  • During the surprise party planning, Sarah accidentally let the cat out of the bag about the event.
  • let the cat out of the bag now

Examples

Synonyms

to reveal
vsto let the cat out of the bag
∞ 2.3

Show something that was hidden or secret

is often accidental rather than a general or formal disclosure
to expose
vsto let the cat out of the bag
413 4.1

Reveal hidden facts or bad actions to people

is often accidental rather than an intentional public exposure
to talk
vsto let the cat out of the bag
  • Informal
331 6.1

Tell secrets or private facts because of pressure

is commonly accidental rather than forced admission under pressure
to leak
vsto let the cat out of the bag
293 4.1

To tell secret information to the public without permission

is typically accidental and private rather than a large public disclosure
to uncover
vsto let the cat out of the bag
234 3.5

Reveal secret facts to the public

is usually accidental rather than a planned public revelation
to give away
vsto let the cat out of the bag
130 3.4

Tell a secret on purpose or by accident

is often accidental whereas this can be intentional too
to unveil
vsto let the cat out of the bag
120 4.1

To make something known for the first time

is usually accidental rather than a formal or ceremonial revealing
to spill
vsto let the cat out of the bag
94 4.5

To reveal secret information, often by mistake

is often accidental rather than planned
to rat out
vsto let the cat out of the bag
  • Informal
80 8.6

To tell the police or another authority about someone's bad action, betraying their trust

is often accidental rather than a deliberate betrayal to officials
to let on
vsto let the cat out of the bag
  • Informal
68 6.0

To tell a secret or show feelings you were trying to hide

is commonly accidental rather than an intentional hint or leak
to divulge
vsto let the cat out of the bag
52 6.2

To tell secret or private information to people

is often accidental rather than an intended disclosure
to bring out
vsto let the cat out of the bag
51 3.7

Make secret information known to the public

is usually accidental rather than an intended public announcement
to betray
vsto let the cat out of the bag
38 4.2

To show a feeling or secret without meaning to

is focused on secret disclosure rather than accidental personal signals
to blab
vsto let the cat out of the bag
  • Informal
33 7.4

To tell secrets without thinking

is more often accidental than willful careless talk
to let out
vsto let the cat out of the bag
27 3.7

Tell secret or private information to other people

is often accidental rather than a deliberate announcement
to let slip
vsto let the cat out of the bag
23 5.6

Accidentally tell someone something you want to keep secret

is commonly accidental rather than deliberate
to spill the beans
vsto let the cat out of the bag
  • Informal
18 6.0

Tell a secret by accident before others know

is usually accidental rather than a planned disclosure
to lay bare
vsto let the cat out of the bag
13 5.5

To show something hidden so people can see it

is usually accidental rather than a full open exposure
to breathe a word
vsto let the cat out of the bag
  • Informal
13 6.3

To tell someone a secret that should be kept

is usually accidental rather than purposefully breaking silence
to tattle
vsto let the cat out of the bag
  • Informal
10 7.0

Tell a person in charge about someone else's bad actions in a childish way

is usually accidental rather than a petty intentional report
to blow wide open
vsto let the cat out of the bag
  • Literature
8 6.5

To make a secret suddenly become known

is usually accidental rather than a full public exposé
to blow the lid off
vsto let the cat out of the bag
  • Literature
8 6.8

Reveal secret information that shocks people

is usually accidental rather than a dramatic investigative exposure
to drop a bombshell
vsto let the cat out of the bag
6 5.5

To suddenly tell people something very surprising that shocks them

is often accidental rather than a dramatic planned revelation
to disclose
vsto let the cat out of the bag
3 4.0

Make something visible by removing a cover

is usually accidental rather than a formal legal reveal
to lift the veil
vsto let the cat out of the bag
2 7.1

To reveal information that was previously hidden

is usually accidental rather than a deliberate symbolic revealing
to blow the surprise
vsto let the cat out of the bag
  • Informal
2 6.5

Tell a secret and spoil a planned surprise

is about revealing confidential information rather than only spoiling surprises
to give the game away
vsto let the cat out of the bag
1 5.5

To tell a secret by accident and spoil a surprise

is usually an unplanned disclosure rather than intentional
to uncloak
vsto let the cat out of the bag
1 7.7

To make something hidden become visible by removing a cover or showing the truth

is usually accidental rather than a deliberate act of exposure
to blab out
vsto let the cat out of the bag
  • Informal
1 7.9

To tell a secret carelessly or without meaning to

is typically accidental rather than a deliberate leak
to sing
vsto let the cat out of the bag
  • Slang
1 8.4

To tell secret information to the police or other officials

is usually accidental and not mainly about informing officials
to unwrap
vsto let the cat out of the bag
1 4.4

To tell people about something secret

is usually accidental rather than a planned public unveiling
to babble out
vsto let the cat out of the bag
  • Informal
1 8.0

To tell secrets without thinking

is usually accidental rather than loudly uncontrolled chatter
to babble
vsto let the cat out of the bag
1 5.3

Tell secret information carelessly to others

is more likely careless rather than a single accidental slip
to explode a bombshell
vsto let the cat out of the bag
  • Informal
1 7.7

Make a shocking announcement that surprises people

is often accidental and less about shocking a wide audience

Antonyms

to keep a secret
206 2.6

To not tell anyone private information

How Revealing

to announce
∞ 1.5
to let the cat out of the bag
  • Informal
4 5.1
to blurt out
  • Informal
46 3.9
to let slip
23 5.6
to hint
119 2.0

Surface Forms

let the cat out of the bag infinitive
let the cat out of the bag past
let the cat out of the bag past participle
letting the cat out of the bag present participle
lets the cat out of the bag third person singular

Morphology

let + the + cat + out + of + the + bag

The literal words ('let', 'cat', 'out', 'bag') suggest releasing an animal from a container, but that does not map onto the idea of revealing confidential information; the connection is historically idiomatic rather than compositionally predictable. Because the key lexical items ('cat' and 'bag') do not transparently signal 'secret' and the phrase is a conventionalized idiom, a B1 learner who only knows the constituents would not reliably infer the meaning.

Etymology

The idiom let the cat out of the bag may come from old markets where a buyer paid for a pig in a bag but a dishonest seller put a cat inside instead. If someone then let the cat out of the bag, the trick was shown, so the phrase now means 'to reveal a secret'.