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Glite Dictionary
to leak out

to leak out

24 3.7
People find out secret information without permission
  • phrasal verb
  • /lik aʊt/
translation icon : filtrarse
  • The confidential report accidentally leaked out, causing a public relations crisis for the organization.
  • plans have leaked out

Examples

  • There is no question that vital data is leaking out concerning Allied air operations.

    Darling Lili (1970)

  • Men, I don't want a word to leak out about this incredible incident.

    To Be or Not to Be (1942)

  • Someone let our plans leak out to the newspapers.

    4D Man (1959)

  • The plans leaked out on the Internet.

    Men in Black II (2002)

  • I considered it wise to conduct an investigation because, if these things were leaked out, the situation would have become worse.

    Academic text (1998)

  • Institutions might be forced into greater efficiency and honesty if all corruption were to leak out.

    Glossary of Broken Dreams (2018)

  • When word leaked out, there was speculation that some kind of deal was struck.

    Academic text (1992)

  • Do you remember that story that leaked out about us wanting to, uh... transport radioactive materials through Manhattan?

    C.H.U.D. (1984)

  • The whole party could be in jeopardy if this fiasco leaks out.

    Come Play with Me (1977)

  • You see, the word leaked out that the U. S. G. S. had expressed concern… …and so the tourists panicked and stayed away… …the real estate values plummeted, and the town nearly went bankrupt.

    Dante's Peak (1997)

Synonyms

to come out
vsto leak out
830 2.9

To become known to people after being hidden

often implies accidental disclosure rather than planned reveal
to get out
vsto leak out
412 3.5

Become known to many people, even when it was secret

happens usually unintentionally or without approval
to leak
vsto leak out
219 4.1

To tell secret information to the public without permission

happens without intention rather than as a deliberate action

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

How Public

to come out
563 3.0
to disclose
7 4.0
to leak out
24 3.7
to siloed
  • Jargon
7.9

Surface Forms

leak out infinitive
leaked out past
leaked out past participle
leaking out present participle
leaks out third person singular

Morphology

leak + out

The meaning 'to become known to the public' is directly built from 'leak' (to let out secret information) plus the particle 'out' (to the outside/public), so the overall sense of information escaping is compositionally transparent. This motion/escape metaphor for information is common cross-linguistically and follows standard English verb + particle patterns, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would likely infer the meaning.

Etymology

Leak out comes from the clear image of a container with a small hole: liquid slowly passes through the hole—leak—and flows out. This image makes it easy to picture a secret slipping away from a safe place without permission. So, leak out means 'to become known', usually by accident or 'without approval'.