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spill the beans

to reveal a secret

In Idioms & Sayings

In more detail

(idiom) to reveal a secret or tell someone something that was supposed to be kept private

Examples

• Don't spill the beans about the surprise party!

How to use spill the beans

This informal idiom means to reveal information that was meant to be confidential or surprising, typically unintentionally or carelessly. It is used in casual, conversational contexts and carries a slightly playful or mischievous tone rather than being serious or condemning. Unlike 'blow the whistle', which implies exposing wrongdoing for moral reasons, 'spill the beans' suggests a thoughtless or impulsive disclosure.

Register: informal

Common phrases

• spill the beans about
• spill the beans on someone
• spill all the beans
• someone spilled the beans

Synonyms

reveal a secret · let the cat out of the bag · blow the whistle · divulge · disclose

Opposites

keep a secret · stay silent

A common mistake

Learners sometimes overuse this idiom in formal or professional contexts where 'disclose', 'reveal', or 'divulge' would be more appropriate.

Nearby in Idioms & Sayings

piece of cake, under the weather, cost an arm and a leg, hit the nail on the head, let the cat out of the bag, burn the midnight oil

Keep going

How to remember the words you read · Spaced repetition, explained