dirty laundry

noun

: private matters whose public exposure brings distress and embarrassment

called also dirty linen

Examples of dirty laundry in a Sentence

The company is trying to keep its dirty laundry from being aired in public.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams claimed to Fox News Digital that Prince Harry’s pleas to reconcile with his family, while also airing dirty laundry, could undermine Charles’ leadership as a monarch who is battling cancer. Stephanie Nolasco , Ashley Papa, FOXNews.com, 15 May 2025 Billionaire art collectors rarely air their deals or dirty laundry out in public. Ephrat Livni, New York Times, 10 May 2025 Shoes and dirty laundry can quickly cause your closet to smell, so consider storing these elsewhere. Katelyn Squiers, Better Homes & Gardens, 24 Mar. 2025 The indifference to keeping America’s dirty laundry buried in the basket has been one of the rare constants in Trumpism, as has been a see-no-evil ethos by the President in response to forehead-slapping details that have stunned national security hawks of every background. Philip Elliott, Time, 26 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for dirty laundry

Word History

First Known Use

1967, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of dirty laundry was in 1967

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Cite this Entry

“Dirty laundry.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dirty%20laundry. Accessed 28 May. 2025.

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Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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