lay bare
idiom
: to reveal or uncover private information or feelings
He laid bare his soul.
The book is an attempt to lay bare the secrets of this very powerful political family.
Examples of lay bare in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The two title wins do not lay bare the deficit between the top two and their contenders, but the tennis rankings do.
—
Charlie Eccleshare, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
Ronan uses silence to build anticipation for that moment when the sky will crack open — literally with a hail storm — and the brothers lay bare their pain.
—Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 19 Sep. 2025
Fortinbras, a movement of unhoused youths, lay bare the crimes of his uncle Claudius, played by Art Malik.
—Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 6 Sep. 2025
In his 2023 feature film debut Unlocked, writer-director Kim Tae-joon used a cat-and-mouse serial killer premise to lay bare our modern dependence on smartphones.
—Kayti Burt, Time, 18 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for lay bare
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Charlie Eccleshare, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
Ronan uses silence to build anticipation for that moment when the sky will crack open — literally with a hail storm — and the brothers lay bare their pain.
—Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 19 Sep. 2025
Fortinbras, a movement of unhoused youths, lay bare the crimes of his uncle Claudius, played by Art Malik.
—Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 6 Sep. 2025
In his 2023 feature film debut Unlocked, writer-director Kim Tae-joon used a cat-and-mouse serial killer premise to lay bare our modern dependence on smartphones.
—Kayti Burt, Time, 18 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for lay bare
Video
Lay vs. Lie
Editor Emily Brewster clarifies the difference.
Cite this Entry
“Lay bare.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lay%20bare. Accessed 14 Oct. 2025.
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