hold up a mirror to

A form of hold a mirror to — To reflect; to represent and by resemblance provide insight into.

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Meanings

verbhold up a mirror to (third-person singular simple present holds up a mirror to, present participle holding up a mirror to, simple past and past participle held up a mirror to)

present singular third person holds up a mirror to · participle present holding up a mirror to · participle past held up a mirror to · past held up a mirror to

  1. alternativeAlternative form of hold a mirror to.

    Let him hold up a mirror to himself and realize that he is the devil's numero uno servant.

    2014, Nndy Nenty, Observing What Is Not Happening: Second Autobiography, page 32
    2 more examples

    We have always to interpret, to provide the meaning for what we see, and for that we can only draw upon human values, emotions and interpretations. When we gaze at animals we hold up a mirror to ourselves.

    1999, Adrian Franklin, Animals and Modern Cultures

    Through meditation we can learn to function in the capacity of a detached observer and hold up a mirror to our own behaviour.

    2011, Naomi Ozaniec, Find Peace with Meditation: Flash
Cite this entry
APA

hold up a mirror to. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hold%20up%20a%20mirror%20to

MLA

“hold up a mirror to.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hold%20up%20a%20mirror%20to. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “hold up a mirror to,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hold%20up%20a%20mirror%20to.

Source: hold up a mirror to on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.