loose lips sink ships

/ˈlus ˈlɪps ˈsɪŋk ˈʃɪps/

proverb

Saying too much or releasing confidential information can have dangerous consequences.

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Meanings

proverb
  1. Saying too much or releasing confidential information can have dangerous consequences.

    Loose Lips Sink Ships, said the wartime poster. Of course the ships will all sink anyway, sooner or later.

    2000, Margaret Atwood, The Blind Assassin, Anchor, published 2007, →ISBN, page 448
    1 more example

    ‘Loose lips sink ships,’ she spat at Dad once, when they were arguing about Grandpa, but ‘loose lips killed our son.’

    2014, Crystal Chan, Bird, Random House, →ISBN, page 59

Origin

Shortening of a wartime slogan from World War II.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 禍從口出 /祸从口出
  • 禍從口出 /祸从口出 (huòcóngkǒuchū)saying too much or releasing confidential information can have dangerous consequences
Finnish älä puhu sivu suun
  • älä puhu sivu suunsaying too much or releasing confidential information can have dangerous consequences
French propos inconsidérés, bateaux coulés
  • propos inconsidérés, bateaux couléssaying too much or releasing confidential information can have dangerous consequences
Polish nieostrożne gadanie zatapia statki
  • nieostrożne gadanie zatapia statkisaying too much or releasing confidential information can have dangerous consequences
Portuguese o peixe morre pela boca
  • o peixe morre pela bocasaying too much or releasing confidential information can have dangerous consequences
Spanish por la boca muere el pez, palabra y piedra suelta no tiene vuelta
  • por la boca muere el pezsaying too much or releasing confidential information can have dangerous consequences
  • palabra y piedra suelta no tiene vueltasaying too much or releasing confidential information can have dangerous consequences
  • palabra de boca, piedra de hondasaying too much or releasing confidential information can have dangerous consequences

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with loose lips sink ships

tipstripschipslipseclipseslipsellipsepipssnips
All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

loose lips sink ships. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/loose%20lips%20sink%20ships

MLA

“loose lips sink ships.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/loose%20lips%20sink%20ships. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “loose lips sink ships,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/loose%20lips%20sink%20ships.

Source: loose lips sink ships on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.