# sneeze on the truth

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/sneeze-on-the-truth
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To sneeze just after somebody says something, superstitiously believed to verify or validate their statement.

## Examples

- He sneezed on the truth when I mentioned the rain.
- You sneeze on the truth every time I mention your secret crush.
- She sneezes on the truth when I say the coffee is too hot.
- I told my friend that the bus would be late, and she sneezed on the truth immediately.
- My brother sneezed on the truth right after I predicted that our favorite team would lose the championship game this year.
- Just as the chef admitted he forgot the salt, a customer at the counter sneezed on the truth, confirming the mistake.
- The room stayed quiet until my sister sneezed on the truth following my mother's claim that we were moving to a new city.
- When the witness claimed the suspect was innocent, the sudden sneeze on the truth left the entire courtroom in a state of bewildered silence.

## Origin

From a common Russian superstition, which holds that if one sneezes while speaking, the statement just uttered is confirmed as true. The sneeze serves as an involuntary physiological endorsement of the speaker's veracity.

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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.