# spare someone the details

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/spare-someone-the-details
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

to not give details about something mentioned, usually to avoid embarrassment or irrelevance

## Examples

- I know you had a bad day, so please spare me the details.
- He told me he lost his job, but he decided to spare me the details about why it happened.
- While the witness described the accident, the judge asked him to spare the jury the details of the most graphic injuries.

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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.