to let on

Examples

• All

• I should never have let on that I saw him.

  Fiction book (1996)

• Someone in here secretly matters to you more than you let on.

  The Standoff at Sparrow Creek (2019)

• If he saw what was being done to his kid, he never let on.

  Fiction book (1999)

• And suppose she let on to her folks about it?

  Fiction book (1997)

• If she knew what her husband did for a living, she never let on.

  Fiction book (1992)

• And I could not let on that I knew that they had gotten me fired.

• So I would imagine that maybe people are more interested and more curious than they let on initially.

• I just want you to try and find out where they are, without letting on that you know me.

  Fiction book (1996)

• Maybe I listened a little more than I let on.

  Playing with Fire (2019)

• You might think he's confident, but he doesn't let on about his insecurities.

Synonyms

T

to tell

vsto let on

∞ 2.7

Report someone's actions to the police or an authority

is the general act of disclosing secrets, not necessarily to authority

R

to reveal

vsto let on

∞ 2.3

Show something that was hidden or secret

is the common act of telling something meant to be kept secret

B

to break

vsto let on

• Literature

∞ 3.6

To make news known quickly

is the everyday disclosure of secrets without sudden timing

T

to talk

vsto let on

• Informal

435 6.1

Tell secrets or private facts because of pressure

is the act of making secret information known, not implying force

E

to expose

vsto let on

342 4.1

Reveal hidden facts or bad actions to people

is the neutral disclosure of secret information without accusing

U

to uncover

vsto let on

243 3.5

Reveal secret facts to the public

is the general act of telling secrets not necessarily to everyone

D

to disclose

vsto let on

234 4.1

To tell people information that was secret

is the everyday act of making secret information known

L

to leak

vsto let on

219 4.1

To tell secret information to the public without permission

is the direct act of telling secrets, not implying who passed them

S

to spill

vsto let on

164 4.5

To reveal secret information, often by mistake

is the neutral disclosure of secrets, not implying force or mistake

G

to give away

vsto let on

114 3.4

Tell a secret on purpose or by accident

is the standard act of making secret information known generally

U

to unveil

vsto let on

109 4.1

To make something known for the first time

is the basic idea of telling a secret without ceremony

C

to come clean

vsto let on

• Informal

92 4.1

To say the truth about something you kept secret

is the neutral act of revealing secrets, not necessarily as confession

S

to sing

vsto let on

• Slang

70 8.4

To tell secret information to the police or other officials

is the plain act of making secrets known, not specifically to authorities

B

to betray

vsto let on

60 4.2

To show a feeling or secret without meaning to

is the act of telling secrets which may be intended or not

D

to divulge

vsto let on

45 6.2

To tell secret or private information to people

is the plain act of making secret information known

L

to let out

vsto let on

32 3.7

Tell secret or private information to other people

is the neutral term for telling secrets without saying how many hear

S

to spill the beans

vsto let on

• Informal

18 6.0

Tell a secret by accident before others know

is the plain act of telling secrets without needing to be accidental

B

to breathe a word

vsto let on

• Informal

12 6.3

To tell someone a secret that should be kept

is the general act of telling secrets, not limited to any single phrase

B

to bring out

vsto let on

8 3.7

Make secret information known to the public

is the ordinary act of making a secret known without fanfare

B

to blow the lid off

vsto let on

• Literature

8 6.8

Reveal secret information that shocks people

is the neutral disclosure of secrets without dramatic effect

L

to let slip

vsto let on

5 5.6

Accidentally tell someone something you want to keep secret

is the general act of revealing secrets, whether on purpose or not

L

to let the cat out of the bag

vsto let on

• Informal

5 5.1

To tell a secret that should be kept

is the basic act of making secret information known in any way

L

to lift the veil

vsto let on

4 7.1

To reveal information that was previously hidden

is the simple act of making secret facts known to others

B

to babble

vsto let on

3 5.3

Tell secret information carelessly to others

is the act of making secret information known but not necessarily carelessly

U

to unwrap

vsto let on

2 4.4

To tell people about something secret

is the plain act of telling what was meant to stay secret

L

to lay bare

vsto let on

2 5.5

To show something hidden so people can see it

is the normal act of making secret information known

G

to give the game away

vsto let on

1 5.5

To tell a secret by accident and spoil a surprise

is the general act of disclosing secrets without focusing on spoiling plans

B

to blab out

vsto let on

• Informal

1 7.9

To tell a secret carelessly or without meaning to

is the normal act of telling secrets without implying carelessness

B

to babble out

vsto let on

• Informal

8.0

To tell secrets without thinking

is the general act of making secrets known without loss of control

B

to bewray

vsto let on

• Archaic

9.9

To make a secret known often without meaning to

is the modern neutral act of making secrets known in common speech

Antonyms

C

to conceal

282 3.7

To hide something so others cannot see or find it

K

to keep a secret

76 2.6

To not tell anyone private information

How Revealing

to expose

342 4.1

to reveal

∞ 2.3

to blurt out

• Informal

42 3.9

to let on

• Informal

43 6.0

to hint

136 2.0

Surface Forms

Morphology

Etymology