truth be told
Used when admitting something one might otherwise lie about, e.g. to keep up appearances or be polite.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“Truth be told, I do not like this movie.”
“I said I was busy, but truth be told, I just wanted to stay home and rest.”
“Truth be told, the project was far more difficult than we anticipated, and we struggled to meet the final deadline.”
Ellipsis of if the truth should be told.
- 01
a little bird told me
I received the information from a source which I am not prepared to disclose.
- 02
all told
With everything included, counted, or summed; in total.
- 03
bend the truth
To change or leave out certain facts of a story or situation, generally in order to elicit a specific response in the audience.
- 04
don't tell me
Used to introduce a guess at a fact or situation, as if forestalling the other speaker's utterance.
- 05
economical with the truth
Not telling the whole truth, especially in order to present a false image of a situation; untruthful; lying. Often used with sarcasm or satire.
- 06
God's honest truth
Unquestionable, absolute truth.
- 07
grain of truth
Synonym of kernel of truth.
- 08
I can tell you
Emphasises the truth of a statement.
Last updated August 10, 2026