take to the grave

verb

To never reveal (a secret).

“Houdini took his secrets to the grave, as he died shortly after performing one of his most famous escapes.”

Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

verbtake to the grave (third-person singular simple present takes to the grave, present participle taking to the grave, simple past took to the grave, past participle taken to the grave)

present singular third person takes to the grave · participle present taking to the grave · past took to the grave · participle past taken to the grave

  1. idiomatictransitiveTo never reveal (a secret).

    Houdini took his secrets to the grave, as he died shortly after performing one of his most famous escapes.

    1 more example

    Omigosh, you CAN'T tell her I said that! I'm so serious! Take it to the grave.

    2004, Intelligent Systems, translated by Nintendo of America, Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, Nintendo, GameCube, level/area: Twilight Town

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 把……帶進墳墓 /把……带进坟墓
  • 把……帶進墳墓 /把……带进坟墓 (bǎ... dàijìn fénmù)to never reveal a secret to one's death
Finnish viedä mukanaan hautaan
  • viedä mukanaan hautaanto never reveal a secret to one's death
French emporter dans sa tombe
  • emporter dans sa tombeto never reveal a secret to one's death
German etwas mit ins Grab nehmen
  • etwas mit ins Grab nehmento never reveal a secret to one's death
Hungarian sírba visz
  • sírba viszto never reveal a secret to one's death
Polish zabrać ze sobą do grobu
  • zabrać ze sobą do grobuto never reveal a secret to one's death
Russian унести́ в моги́лу, унести́ с собо́й в моги́лу
  • унести́ в моги́лу (unestí v mogílu)to never reveal a secret to one's death
  • унести́ с собо́й в моги́лу (unestí s sobój v mogílu)to never reveal a secret to one's death
Spanish llevarse a la tumba
  • llevarse a la tumbato never reveal a secret to one's death
Swedish ta med sig något i graven
  • ta med sig något i gravento never reveal a secret to one's death
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

Source: take to the grave on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.