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to come to light

to come to light

52 3.9
To become known after being hidden
  • phrasal verb
translation icon : salir a la luz
  • New evidence finally came to light, revealing the truth behind the mystery.
  • evidence comes to light
  • information comes to light
  • problems come to light

It's slowly, slowly, slowly coming to light that this is, this is wrong.

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Examples

  • New information has come to light.

  • Some new data has come to light.

  • But long after the trial, some evidence comes to light and then the question is how to get it before a court.

  • We'll update you as more information comes to light.

  • U.S. concerns over human rights violations also came to light at this time.

    Academic text (1999)
  • We would have kept this information private, but additional facts concerning Miss Green have come to light.

  • New events have come to light that change the nature of this allegation.

  • More details came to light as the justices questioned the parties involved.

    Academic text (2008)
  • The unbelievable story has come to light after the Indianapolis star obtained hundreds of pages of official documents related to the case.

  • As I have talked to other librarians and principals, something interesting has come to light.

    Academic text (2015)

Synonyms

to reveal
vsto come to light
2.3

Show something that was hidden or secret

is the general event of becoming known rather than an act by a person
to come out
vsto come to light
830 2.9

To become known to people after being hidden

focuses on the event rather than on who made it public
to discover
vsto come to light
478 1.0

To make secret information known to other people

focuses on finding by someone rather than the event of being found
to expose
vsto come to light
342 4.1

Reveal hidden facts or bad actions to people

is about becoming known without implying public shame or damage
to emerge
vsto come to light
249 3.5

To come out from behind or under something and become visible

focuses on becoming known rather than on a physical appearance
to uncover
vsto come to light
243 3.5

Reveal secret facts to the public

focuses on an actor doing the work rather than the event happening
to unfold
vsto come to light
239 3.2

Become clear over time

describes becoming known in general rather than a slow developing process
to turn up
vsto come to light
155 3.0

To find something while searching or by chance

focuses on becoming known without implying search or chance
to unveil
vsto come to light
109 4.1

To make something known for the first time

refers to becoming known generally not limited to first time events
to let out
vsto come to light
32 3.7

Tell secret or private information to other people

focuses on neutral becoming known rather than on who told or how by accident
to bring to light
vsto come to light
20 3.7

To show facts that were hidden before

is about the result rather than the person doing the work
to spill the beans
vsto come to light
  • Informal
18 6.0

Tell a secret by accident before others know

does not imply accidental or premature telling
to disclose
vsto come to light
7 4.0

Make something visible by removing a cover

refers to being made public without specifying how it becomes known
to come forth
vsto come to light
  • Formal
7 4.2

Appear from a place, often suddenly

highlights sudden or formal appearance rather than general becoming known
to lay bare
vsto come to light
2 5.5

To show something hidden so people can see it

means becoming known rather than being shown completely and openly
to come out in the wash
vsto come to light
  • Informal
2 7.0

A secret or problem becomes known later

refers to becoming known without implying a delayed outcome or final resolution
to unbury
vsto come to light
1 6.5

To reveal something hidden or forgotten

refers to becoming known rather than specifically recovering forgotten items
to blow wide open
vsto come to light
  • Literature
1 6.5

To make a secret suddenly become known

is the general becoming known rather than an action causing sudden exposure
to come to hand
vsto come to light
1 6.3

To become available to someone, often information or documents

refers to becoming known without emphasizing personal possession
to uncloak
vsto come to light
1 7.7

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

focuses on the general act of becoming known rather than removing coverings
to come to daylight
vsto come to light
5.1

To become known after being hidden

is the broader expression for becoming known after a period of secrecy
to re-emerge
vsto come to light
5.0

To appear again after being hidden or gone

refers to becoming known not necessarily for the first time

Antonyms

2.0

Hidden so other people do not know about it

5 3.7

Hidden so people cannot see it

How Revealed

to come to light
52 3.9
to leak out
24 3.7

Surface Forms

come to light infinitive
come to light past participle
coming to light present participle
comes to light third person singular

Morphology

come + to + light

The meaning 'to be revealed' is partly derivable because 'come' (move into a state) plus 'light' used metaphorically (visibility/awareness) yields the idea of something moving into view or awareness. However, this relies on recognizing a metaphorical extension of 'light' rather than a purely literal reading, so a B1 learner who only knows the basic literal senses may not fully predict it without prior exposure, making it only partially transparent.

Etymology

Come to light comes from the simple image of something hidden in the dark that comes into light, so people can see it, and that's why it describes things that 'are revealed' or 'are discovered'.