expose

What it means

1. transitiveTo reveal; to uncover; to make visible; to bring to light.

   The dispatches revealed details of corruption and kleptocracy that many Tunisians suspected, […]. They also exposed the blatant discrepancy between the west's professed values and actual foreign policies.

   2013 June 7, Gary Younge, “Hypocrisy lies at heart of Manning prosecution”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 188, number 26, page 18

   1 more example

   Many supporters believed Donald Trump would finally expose government cover-ups once he returned to power. But more than six months into his new term, those much-hyped conspiracy theories have either been debunked or quietly fallen apart.

   2025 July 10, Jesus Mesa, “'We've Been Played': MAGA Faces Its Own Disappointment With Trump”, in Newsweek

   Synonyms: bare, bewray, betray, display, find out, lay bare, luster, nake

2. transitiveartsTo subject photographic film to light, thereby recording an image.
3. transitiveTo submit to an active (mostly dangerous) substance, such as radiation, a chemical, or any other stress.

   Residents were exposed to dangerous levels of radiation.

   1 more example

   You understand that by using the Services, you may be exposed to Content that might be offensive, harmful, inaccurate or otherwise inappropriate, or in some cases, postings that have been mislabeled or are otherwise deceptive.

   2021 August 19, “Twitter User Agreement”, in Twitter, archived from the original on 20 Aug 2021, 3 Content on the Services

In a sentence

The dispatches revealed details of corruption and kleptocracy that many Tunisians suspected, […]. They also exposed the blatant discrepancy between the west's professed values and actual foreign policies.

2013 June 7, Gary Younge, “Hypocrisy lies at heart of Manning prosecution”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 188, number 26, page 18

Where it comes from

1. Old Frenchespondre“to set forth, explain”
2. Latinexpōnō“set forth”
3. Old Frenchexposer“to lay open, set forth”
4. Middle Englishexposen
5. Englishexpose

From Middle English exposen, from Old French exposer (“to lay open, set forth”), from Latin expōnō (“set forth”), with contamination from poser (“to lay, place”). Doublet of expone and expound (via Old French espondre (“to set forth, explain”)), from the same Latin term.