ENGLISH
REFERENCE

air one's dirty laundry in public

idiom
Meaning

To reveal one's sordid secrets to the public.


Examples
SIMPLE

She hates it when people air their dirty laundry in public.

CONTEXTUAL

The celebrity couple aired their dirty laundry in public during a messy divorce.

COMPLEX

In a moment of bitter exhaustion, he aired his dirty laundry in public, exposing family secrets that had been buried for decades.

Anchors to
Related idioms8entries
  1. 01

    abound in one's own sense

    To follow one’s own inclinations and opinions.

  2. 02

    ace up one's sleeve

    A surprise advantage of which others are not aware.

  3. 03

    act one's age

    To behave in a manner appropriate to one's age.

  4. 04

    act one's age, not one's shoe size

    Synonym of act one's age (“to behave in a mature manner; to avoid being childish”).

  5. 05

    afraid of one's own shadow

    Exceptionally timid.

  6. 06

    air one's dirty linen in public

    Synonym of air one's dirty laundry in public.

  7. 07

    air out

    To expose to air; to leave open or spread out, as to allow odor or moisture to dissipate.

  8. 08

    air rage

    Aggressive, disruptive behaviour on an aircraft.

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