dead giveaway
noun
: something that shows (the truth about something) clearly
The camera is a dead giveaway that you're a tourist.
Examples of dead giveaway in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Sam becomes the subject of an intense missing persons investigation and a dead giveaway for Robbie’s culpability should he be discovered by Perry (Jamie McShane), a biker gang member seeking revenge for the crime.
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Keith Phipps, Vulture, 6 Oct. 2025
Asking her to go to a salon would have been a dead giveaway, so her best friend came up with an ingenious solution — press-on nails.
—Lydia Patrick, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Sep. 2025
If anyone is wondering how the veteran guard feels less than a month after being dealt to the Charlotte Hornets from the Utah Jazz, the bouncy nature of Sexton’s steps is a dead giveaway.
—Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 17 July 2025
The vocals, normally a dead giveaway, have a robotic sheen, but the way they’re buried in the mix sounds realistic.
—Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 17 July 2025
The researchers suggest a particular chemical marker that could be a dead giveaway of dark dwarfs — the isotope lithium-7, which burns easily and is therefore quickly consumed by ordinary stars.
—Robert Lea, Space.com, 7 July 2025
Though the human-size Amazon box could be a dead giveaway.
—Christie D’zurilla, Los Angeles Times, 23 June 2025
Their hair product and suits — crisp and conservative if seldom stylish — are a dead giveaway.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
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Keith Phipps, Vulture, 6 Oct. 2025
Asking her to go to a salon would have been a dead giveaway, so her best friend came up with an ingenious solution — press-on nails.
—Lydia Patrick, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Sep. 2025
If anyone is wondering how the veteran guard feels less than a month after being dealt to the Charlotte Hornets from the Utah Jazz, the bouncy nature of Sexton’s steps is a dead giveaway.
—Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 17 July 2025
The vocals, normally a dead giveaway, have a robotic sheen, but the way they’re buried in the mix sounds realistic.
—Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 17 July 2025
The researchers suggest a particular chemical marker that could be a dead giveaway of dark dwarfs — the isotope lithium-7, which burns easily and is therefore quickly consumed by ordinary stars.
—Robert Lea, Space.com, 7 July 2025
Though the human-size Amazon box could be a dead giveaway.
—Christie D’zurilla, Los Angeles Times, 23 June 2025
Their hair product and suits — crisp and conservative if seldom stylish — are a dead giveaway.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Cite this Entry
“Dead giveaway.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dead%20giveaway. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.
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