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💧 To drop liquid 🤫 To reveal secrets 🛢️ A liquid accident 🤸 A sudden fall ⛵ To let out wind 🌊 Overflow channel
to spill

to spill

164 4.5
To reveal secret information, often by mistake
  • verb
  • /spɪl/
translation icon : revelar
  • And I was like, spill the tea, tell me everything now.
  • spill secrets

Every crying video where I'm spilling my soul onto an SD card.

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Examples

  • So I spilled my guts out, said everything.

  • You want to spill my guts, is that it?

    The Liberation of L.B. Jones (1970)

  • All these ladies want to do is spill on us and take pictures.

  • Is there like, any fun, like tea to spill or things to watch out for?

  • Let me spill some tea for you.

    Last Chance Charlene (2022)

  • So are you gonna spill the beans on the good reverend James?

    Werewolf Cabal (2022)

  • What did you say to him when he spilled his guts like that?

    Fiction book (1990)

  • The secret was intolerable; it was bound to spill out of him sooner or later.

    Fiction book (1994)

  • Albert let Rob run on until he spilled his guts, but Louise probed.

    Fiction book (1991)

  • During the interview, she decided to spill all the secrets about the company's plans.

Synonyms

to talk
vsto spill
  • Informal
435 6.1

Tell secrets or private facts because of pressure

also occurs unintentionally or accidentally, not only when pressured
to expose
vsto spill
342 4.1

Reveal hidden facts or bad actions to people

is narrower, often accidental or under pressure rather than investigative exposure
to uncover
vsto spill
243 3.5

Reveal secret facts to the public

is often private slips or pressured reveals rather than public uncovering
to disclose
vsto spill
234 4.1

To tell people information that was secret

is more likely accidental or forced rather than a formal planned disclosure
to leak
vsto spill
219 4.1

To tell secret information to the public without permission

is often unintentional or pressure-driven rather than an intentional public release
to give away
vsto spill
114 3.4

Tell a secret on purpose or by accident

focuses on unintentional or pressured revelations rather than neutral disclosure
to rat out
vsto spill
  • Informal
76 8.6

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

is usually accidental or pressure-driven rather than intentional betrayal
to betray
vsto spill
60 4.2

To show a feeling or secret without meaning to

often happens under pressure rather than only through signs
to tell all
vsto spill
  • Literature
47 5.6

Say all private things about a person or event

is often partial or accidental rather than a full intentional confession
to divulge
vsto spill
45 6.2

To tell secret or private information to people

often implies accidental or pressured revelation rather than deliberate sharing
to let on
vsto spill
  • Informal
43 6.0

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

tends to occur under pressure or by accident rather than deliberate telling
to let out
vsto spill
32 3.7

Tell secret or private information to other people

often involves accidental or pressured disclosure rather than planned release
to leak out
vsto spill
24 3.7

People find out secret information without permission

often involves private or pressured disclosure rather than public exposure
to blab
vsto spill
  • Informal
21 7.4

To tell secrets without thinking

often happens under pressure or by accidental slip rather than talk
to spill the beans
vsto spill
  • Informal
18 6.0

Tell a secret by accident before others know

also covers being forced to reveal information, not only mistakes
to breathe a word
vsto spill
  • Informal
12 6.3

To tell someone a secret that should be kept

is often accidental or due to pressure rather than deliberate disclosure
to tattle
vsto spill
  • Informal
8 7.0

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

is more about accidental or pressured slips rather than childish tattling
to blow the lid off
vsto spill
  • Literature
8 6.8

Reveal secret information that shocks people

is often about accidental or pressured revelations rather than investigative scandal exposure
to blabber
vsto spill
  • Informal
6 7.8

To talk too much and tell secrets carelessly

is often caused by pressure rather than just talking too much
to let slip
vsto spill
5 5.6

Accidentally tell someone something you want to keep secret

also occurs under pressure rather than only by accident
to spill one's guts
vsto spill
  • Informal
5 8.1

To tell someone your private feelings or secrets openly

is more often accidental or pressure-driven rather than a voluntary confession
to let the cat out of the bag
vsto spill
  • Informal
5 5.1

To tell a secret that should be kept

can also mean revealing under pressure rather than only by accident
to babble
vsto spill
3 5.3

Tell secret information carelessly to others

can also occur under pressure rather than by simple carelessness
to lay bare
vsto spill
2 5.5

To show something hidden so people can see it

tends to focus on slips or pressured reveals rather than deliberate full exposure
to unwrap
vsto spill
2 4.4

To tell people about something secret

is usually private or accidental disclosure rather than public intentional unveiling
to peach
vsto spill
  • Archaic
2 9.9

To tell authorities secret information about someone to get them in trouble

is often accidental or under pressure rather than deliberate informing to authorities
to bare all
vsto spill
  • Informal
1 7.5

To tell everything about yourself, including private things

is more about accidental or pressured slips than voluntary full openness
to give the game away
vsto spill
1 5.5

To tell a secret by accident and spoil a surprise

is about revealing under pressure or accident rather than strategic disclosure
to blow wide open
vsto spill
  • Literature
1 6.5

To make a secret suddenly become known

usually describes slips under pressure, not sudden complete exposure by others
to dish the dirt
vsto spill
  • Informal
1 8.5

To tell private or bad things about someone to other people

is often accidental or pressured disclosure rather than deliberate gossip spreading
to blab out
vsto spill
  • Informal
1 7.9

To tell a secret carelessly or without meaning to

often occurs under pressure rather than only by careless talk
to babble out
vsto spill
  • Informal
8.0

To tell secrets without thinking

can also happen under pressure rather than only as uncontrolled speech
to air dirty laundry
vsto spill
  • Informal
8.4

To talk about private or embarrassing family matters in public

is often unintentional or under pressure rather than public airing by choice

Antonyms

to withhold
210 5.1

Refuse to give something someone wants or needs

to keep a secret
76 2.6

To not tell anyone private information

Idioms

to spill the beans
  • Informal
18 6.0

Tell a secret by accident before others know

to spill one's guts
  • Informal
5 8.1

To tell someone your private feelings or secrets openly

Phrasal Verbs

to spill out
26 3.6

Move out of a place suddenly in large numbers or fall out of a container and spread

to spill over
16 4.2

To move beyond the edge of a container or place

to spill coffee
9 1.3

Accidentally pour coffee so it makes a wet stain or mess

to spill over
3 5.3

To feel an emotion so strongly that you show it openly

to spill your drink
3 1.1

To let the drink in your cup or glass fall by accident

to spill ink
7.4

Write a lot, usually by hand with ink

Compounds

ink spill
2.1

A small accident when ink leaks onto paper or clothes

How Revealing

to expose
342 4.1
to reveal
∞ 2.3
to spill
164 4.5
to blurt out
  • Informal
42 3.9
to let slip
5 5.6

Surface Forms

spill infinitive
spilled past
spilled past participle
spilling present participle
spills third person singular

Etymology

Spill for revealing secrets comes from the image of something 'falling out' of a container; to spill information is to let it 'fall out' or be told, as in the phrase 'spill the beans'.