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Glite Dictionary
to let slip

to let slip

23 5.6
Accidentally tell someone something you want to keep secret
  • phrasal verb
  • /lɛt slɪp/
: dejar escapar
  • She didn't mean to let slip the secret about the surprise party planned for her friend.
  • let slip a secret
  • let slip some details
  • let slip the word

So this is a clip of Jennifer Coolidge on a red carpet, and she lets slip her real voice.

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Examples

  • Vivienne had let slip that Beth would be there and that, where Oliver was concerned, was like aniseed to a dog.

    Fiction book (1995)

  • Of all the secrets she could have let slip, why this one?

    Fiction book (1998)

  • The name my mother let slip.

    Fiction book (1996)

  • Now she had even let slip that she had scrimped and saved for the Italian classes.

    Fiction book (1997)

  • Until today, when she lets slip the tidbit about trust.

    Fiction book (2000)

  • Just a few nights ago, we were all hanging out together when he let slip a comment about his sister that had us practically speechless for the better part of an hour.

    The Sacrament (2014)

  • Dawlish, the Auror, has let slip that the Potter boy will not be moved until the 30th of this month.

    Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (2010)

  • Five days ago, in front of the press, who were now spreading lies about their tax returns, he'd let slip the phrase "I'm not a crook."

    Academic text (2012)

  • You know how Taylor Lautner let slip that there's a "big twist" in The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, Part 2?

    Blog text (28)

  • During the interview, he accidentally let slip his upcoming promotion before it was officially announced.

Synonyms

to give away
vsto let slip
130 3.4

Tell a secret on purpose or by accident

is specifically about revealing without meaning to rather than any reveal
to spill
vsto let slip
94 4.5

To reveal secret information, often by mistake

is about accidental revealing rather than intentional sharing
to let on
vsto let slip
  • Informal
68 6.0

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

is specifically about revealing without meaning to rather than general disclosure
to drop
vsto let slip
  • Informal
65 4.9

To say something casually to give a hint

is about accidental direct revealing rather than casual indirect mention
to betray
vsto let slip
38 4.2

To show a feeling or secret without meaning to

is about revealing information by accident rather than by action
to leak out
vsto let slip
30 3.7

People find out secret information without permission

is about personal accidental disclosure rather than broad public leaks
to let out
vsto let slip
27 3.7

Tell secret or private information to other people

is focused on accidental revealing rather than neutral disclosure
to spill the beans
vsto let slip
  • Informal
18 6.0

Tell a secret by accident before others know

is about unintentional disclosure rather than deliberate confession
to breathe a word
vsto let slip
  • Informal
13 6.3

To tell someone a secret that should be kept

is about revealing by accident rather than simply any disclosure
to let the cat out of the bag
vsto let slip
  • Informal
4 5.1

To tell a secret that should be kept

is about accidental disclosure rather than keeping something hidden on purpose
to blow the surprise
vsto let slip
  • Informal
2 6.5

Tell a secret and spoil a planned surprise

is about accidental disclosure rather than simply ruining a surprise
to give the game away
vsto let slip
1 5.5

To tell a secret by accident and spoil a surprise

is about accidental revealing rather than planned disclosure
to blab out
vsto let slip
  • Informal
1 7.9

To tell a secret carelessly or without meaning to

is about unintentional revealing rather than merely careless talk
to bewray
vsto let slip
  • Archaic
1 9.9

To make a secret known often without meaning to

is the modern idea of accidental revealing rather than archaic usage
to babble out
vsto let slip
  • Informal
1 8.0

To tell secrets without thinking

is about unintentionally giving information rather than only sloppy speech
to tip one's hand
vsto let slip
  • Informal
7.9

To show your plans or ideas too early to others

is about accidental revealing of information rather than deliberate hinting

Antonyms

to keep a secret
206 2.6

To not tell anyone private information

How Revealing

to announce
∞ 1.5
to blurt out
  • Informal
46 3.9
to let slip
23 5.6
to hint
119 2.0

Surface Forms

let slip infinitive

Morphology

let + slip

The components 'let' (allow) and 'slip' (to escape/slide away) combine to give a plausible sense of 'allow something to escape', which maps onto revealing information. Cross-linguistically similar phrases (e.g. laisser échapper, dejar escapar) make the general idea somewhat accessible, but the specific nuance of inadvertent/revealing-by-speaking and its idiomatic use with secrets may not be fully predictable to a B1 learner without exposure.

Etymology

The phrasal verb let slip comes from the image of let and slip: you let something slip from your hand or mouth and it falls out because you did not hold it. That's why it now means 'to reveal something by accident'.