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.
LeAnn Rimes knows all too well about airing out her dirty laundry. Christina Dugan Ramirez, FOXNews.com, 8 July 2025 So, instead of airing out the dirty laundry on LinkedIn or X, take a breath. 2. John Pierce, Forbes.com, 30 June 2025 Then again, none of those sports has team principals cinematically going at each other as Mercedes’ Toto Wolff and Red Bull’s Horner have recently done, a spectacle akin to Sean McVay and Kyle Shanahan airing dirty laundry right after the Rams and Niners played a big game. Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 26 June 2025 Wash packing cubes used to hold dirty laundry after each use. Jolie Kerr, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 June 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 18 Jul. 2025.

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