in the cold light of day

idiom

: in the day when things can be seen clearly rather than at night
The house that had looked so sinister at night seemed much less frightening in the cold light of day.
sometimes used figuratively
She forced me to look at myself in the cold light of day, and I didn't like what I saw.

Examples of in the cold light of day in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Elsewhere…Who wants to talk about 2021 valuations, in the cold light of day that is 2024? Byallie Garfinkle, Fortune, 29 Feb. 2024 Spend time with them in the cold light of day. Moya Lothian-McLean, Vogue, 4 Dec. 2022 But in the cold light of day, the U.S. record here remains just one win in four matches. Joshua Robinson, WSJ, 4 Dec. 2022 In heated, often emotional, competitive bidding, some potential buyers may back out of a deal in the cold light of day, Potter said. Kenneth R. Gosselin, Hartford Courant, 24 July 2022 The level of suffering that has been created because of this disease is now being seen in the cold light of day, i.e., the truth. David Remnick, The New Yorker, 1 Dec. 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'in the cold light of day.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Dictionary Entries Near in the cold light of day

Cite this Entry

“In the cold light of day.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/in%20the%20cold%20light%20of%20day. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

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