# come out of the broom closet

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/come-out-of-the-broom-closet
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To publicly reveal that one is a Wiccan or some other type of neopagan.

## Examples

- She decided to come out of the broom closet to her friends.
- I want to come out of the broom closet before the next full moon.
- After practicing for years in private, he finally felt comfortable enough to come out of the broom closet at the community center.
- You might find it easier to come out of the broom closet if you join a local group of people who share your spiritual beliefs.
- My neighbor decided to come out of the broom closet by placing a small altar and some crystals in her front window for everyone to see.
- Although she feared potential judgment from her traditional family, she eventually chose to come out of the broom closet and embrace her spiritual identity openly.

## Origin

The term is a late 20th-century extension of the idiom come out of the closet, substituting the standard hiding place for a broom closet. This variation functions as a jocular reference to the folklore stereotype of witches riding brooms, identifying the closet as the specific site where one might reasonably expect to store such equipment.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.