Meanings
present singular third person lets the cat out of the bag · participle present letting the cat out of the bag · alternative let the cat out the bag
- idiomaticTo disclose a secret; to let a secret be known, often inadvertently.
It was going to be a surprise party until someone let the cat out of the bag.
1 more example
[H]e proved himself as decent, decorous, and conscientious, as Peter was rampant, boisterous, and —— (this last epithet I choose to suppress, because it would let the cat out of the bag).
1849, Currer Bell [pseudonym; Charlotte Brontë], “The Winding-up”, in Shirley. A Tale. […], volume III, London: Smith, Elder and Co., […], →OCLC, page 300Synonyms: babble, blab, let the cat out, peach, sing, spill the beans, talk, tattle
Synonyms & antonyms
verbTo disclose a secret; to let a secret be known, often inadvertently.
More synonyms by meaning
verbdivulge confidential information or secrets
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
First use appears c. 1753 or 1770. The inverse of the idiom pig in a poke. If a dishonest merchant tries to sell a cat as a pig and the cat comes out or is taken out of the bag, the merchant's secret is disclosed.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Afrikaans die aap uit die mou laat, die kat uit die sak laat
- die aap uit die mou laatto disclose a secret, often inadvertently
- die kat uit die sak laatto disclose a secret, often inadvertently
Bulgarian изпускам тайната, изпусна тайната
- изпускам тайната (izpuskam tajnata)to disclose a secret, often inadvertently
- изпусна тайната (izpusna tajnata)to disclose a secret, often inadvertently
Chinese Mandarin 露馅
- 露馅 (lòuxiàn)to disclose a secret, often inadvertently
Czech prořeknout se, vybreptat to
- prořeknout seto disclose a secret, often inadvertently
- vybreptat toto disclose a secret, often inadvertently
Danish slippe katten ud af sækken
- slippe katten ud af sækkento disclose a secret, often inadvertently
Finnish möläyttää julki
- möläyttää julkito disclose a secret, often inadvertently
French vendre la mèche
- vendre la mècheto disclose a secret, often inadvertently
German die Katze aus dem Sack lassen
- die Katze aus dem Sack lassento disclose a secret, often inadvertently
Hebrew יצא המרצע מן השק
- יצא המרצע מן השק (yatsá hamartséa' min hasak)to disclose a secret, often inadvertently
Hungarian kifecseg, kikotyog
- kifecsegto disclose a secret, often inadvertently
- kikotyogto disclose a secret, often inadvertently
- eljár a szájato disclose a secret, often inadvertently
- elszólja magátto disclose a secret, often inadvertently
- elkotyogto disclose a secret, often inadvertently
- elárulto disclose a secret, often inadvertently
Icelandic tala af sér, leysa frá skjóðunni
- tala af sérto disclose a secret, often inadvertently
- leysa frá skjóðunnito disclose a secret, often inadvertently
Italian spifferare
- spifferareto disclose a secret, often inadvertently
Norwegian slippe katta ut av sekken
- slippe katta ut av sekkento disclose a secret, often inadvertently
Polish wypuszczać kota z worka, wypuścić kota z worka
- wypuszczać kota z workato disclose a secret, often inadvertently
- wypuścić kota z workato disclose a secret, often inadvertently
Portuguese dar com a língua nos dentes
- dar com a língua nos dentesto disclose a secret, often inadvertently
Romanian scăpa porumbelul, se scăpa
- scăpa porumbelulto disclose a secret, often inadvertently
- se scăpato disclose a secret, often inadvertently
Russian вы́нести сор из избы
- вы́нести сор из избы (výnesti sor iz izby)to disclose a secret, often inadvertently
Scottish Gaelic leig mu sgaoil e
- leig mu sgaoil eto disclose a secret, often inadvertently
Spanish irse de la lengua, levantar la liebre
- irse de la lenguato disclose a secret, often inadvertently
- levantar la liebreto disclose a secret, often inadvertently
- descubrirse el pastelto disclose a secret, often inadvertently
- destapar la ollato disclose a secret, often inadvertently
Cite this entry
let the cat out of the bag. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/let%20the%20cat%20out%20of%20the%20bag
“let the cat out of the bag.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/let%20the%20cat%20out%20of%20the%20bag. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “let the cat out of the bag,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/let%20the%20cat%20out%20of%20the%20bag.
Source: let the cat out of the bag on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.