air one's dirty laundry in public
To reveal one's sordid secrets to the public.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“She hates it when people air their dirty laundry in public.”
“The celebrity couple aired their dirty laundry in public during a messy divorce.”
“In a moment of bitter exhaustion, he aired his dirty laundry in public, exposing family secrets that had been buried for decades.”
- 01
abound in one's own sense
To follow one’s own inclinations and opinions.
- 02
ace up one's sleeve
A surprise advantage of which others are not aware.
- 03
act one's age
To behave in a manner appropriate to one's age.
- 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”).
- 05
afraid of one's own shadow
Exceptionally timid.
- 06
air one's dirty linen in public
Synonym of air one's dirty laundry in public.
- 07
air out
To expose to air; to leave open or spread out, as to allow odor or moisture to dissipate.
- 08
air rage
Aggressive, disruptive behaviour on an aircraft.
Last updated August 10, 2026