spill the tea

/ˌspɪl ðə ˈtiː/

verb

To disclose information, especially of a sensitive nature.

Similar
let the cat out of the bagspill the beansspill one's guts
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Meanings

verbspill the tea (third-person singular simple present spills the tea, present participle spilling the tea, simple past and past participle spilled the tea or spilt the tea)

present singular third person spills the tea · participle present spilling the tea · participle past spilled the tea · past spilled the tea · participle past spilt the tea · past spilt the tea

  1. informalTo disclose information, especially of a sensitive nature.

    Four different entrepreneurs and talents spill the tea on success, failure and lessons learned.

    2013, "The Ones To Watch", Brink Magazine, Issue 26, February/March 2013, page 17
    2 more examples

    They are up in your business because you invited them in by spilling the tea on what you and your man earn.

    2012 October, Demetria L. Lucas, “Should I Worry That He Earns Less Money?”, in CARE, number 18, page 18

    […] she makes good on her promise to out her celebrity husband in the media by going on the top nationally syndicated radio talk show of Neicy Ross, an even more tacky version of Wendy Williams, and spills the tea on her man in delicious detail, […]

    2013, Stanley Bennett Clay, "A Fun Quick Read", DBQ Magazine, Volume 3, Issue 1, January/February 2013, page 9

    Synonyms: let the cat out of the bag, spill the beans, spill one's guts

Synonyms & antonyms

verbTo disclose information, especially of a sensitive nature.

Similar
let the cat out of the bagspill the beansspill one's guts
Also see
gossipspill the beans

Origin

Originally from spill the T, standing for truth, which evolved into tea. Possibly as a blend with spill the beans.

Full word history & related roots →

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with spill the tea

thebewefreeheseeemerebtdshedepgthreevcdkeyzcommitteeiddegree
All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

spill the tea. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/spill%20the%20tea

MLA

“spill the tea.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/spill%20the%20tea. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “spill the tea,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/spill%20the%20tea.

Source: spill the tea on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.