# leave to the imagination

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/leave-to-the-imagination
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

Not to reveal.

## Examples

- The movie left the ending to the imagination.
- The director chose to leave the monster's appearance to the imagination to make the film scarier.
- By obscuring the details of the tragedy, the author left the true horror to the imagination of the reader.

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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.