come clean
Meaning
To tell the truth and admit what you did or what you have been hiding, often after secrecy or suspicion.
Origin
Recorded from early 20th-century American English; “clean” suggests being free of guilt or taint. To “come clean” meant to speak without concealment, like coming out “clean” in confession.
Notes
Often implies pressure or moral judgment: stop hiding and confess. Common in conversation; “Come clean.” can sound accusatory. Used for admitting wrongdoing or revealing hidden info.
Examples
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After weeks of denying it, he finally came clean about breaking the window.
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If you come clean now, we can deal with it before it gets worse.
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She came clean to her parents about failing the exam.
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The employee came clean during the investigation and admitted he altered the records.
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I wish you’d just come clean instead of making up excuses.
Grammar & Usage Notes
Intransitive verb phrase: “come clean (about + noun/gerund)” or “come clean to + person.” Tense inflects on come (came clean, has come clean). Often used as an imperative.
Synonyms
- confess
- admit it
- fess up
- spill the beans
- tell the truth
Antonyms
- cover up
- keep quiet
- conceal the truth
- deny it