leak
verb
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Definition of leak
(Entry 1 of 2)
1a : to enter or escape through an opening usually by a fault or mistake fumes leak in
b : to let a substance or light in or out through an opening The roof was leaking.
2a : to become known despite efforts at concealment confidential information leaked out
b : to be the source of an information leak
1 : to permit to enter or escape through or as if through a leak The roof leaks water.
2 : to give out (information) surreptitiously leaked the story to the press
leak
nounDefinition of leak (Entry 2 of 2)
1a : a crack or hole that usually by mistake admits or lets escape
b : something that permits the admission or escape of something else usually with prejudicial effect
2 : the act, process, or an instance of leaking
3 sometimes vulgar : an act of urinating —used especially in the phrase take a leak
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Other Words from leak
Verb
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noun
Noun
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adjective
Examples of leak in a Sentence
Verb
The boat was leaking water. The cracked pipe leaked fumes into the room. Fumes leaked through the crack in the pipe. Air leaked out of the tire. Water was leaking through a hole in the roof. Someone leaked the story to the press.Noun
The boat had developed a bad leak. The landlord said he would fix the leak in the roof. a slow leak of the chemical When a reporter revealed classified information, the source of the leak was investigated. Security is high because of a fear of leaks before negotiations have been finished.
Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
The attorney general should not allow the special counsel’s report to be made public—and should take care that it’s not leaked—until the president’s team has had a chance to review and respond to it. — Alan M. Dershowitz, WSJ, "Don’t Let Mueller’s Report Go Unanswered," 2 Dec. 2018 So that's a false accusation that it was leaked by Di Fein? — Olivia Fleming, Harper's BAZAAR, "Mara Liasson and Emma Brown Know the Advantages of Being a Female Journalist," 29 Oct. 2018 The affected customers have since been notified, and Amazon says that no other customer information was leaked to outside parties. — Andrew Liptak, The Verge, "Amazon fired an employee who shared customer e-mail addresses a third-party seller," 6 Oct. 2018 McCabe was fired in March just a few days shy of his retirement by Attorney General Jeff Sessions after it was reported that McCabe leaked a story to the press and later lied about it to former FBI Director James Comey. — Elizabeth Zwirz, Fox News, "Fired FBI official Andrew McCabe's lawyers file suit against FBI, DOJ and its watchdog," 2 Oct. 2018 For decades, experts have feared that the ship's oil might leak into the Pacific. — Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "How the U.S. Is Recovering Oil from a Nuked Warship," 17 Sep. 2018 Strzok was angry that only selective parts of his testimony were leaked by committee members. — Erin Kelly, USA TODAY, "FBI agent Peter Strzok: My personal opinion of Trump did not affect my work," 12 July 2018 Liverpool fans are convinced that the apparent 'leaked' photo of Nabil Fekir were genuine, after noticing similarities with the announcement of Naby Keita, according to The Metro. — SI.com, "Liverpool Fans Convinced That 'Leaked' Photo of Nabil Fekir in a Reds' Shirt Was Genuine," 28 June 2018 One source familiar with the scope of the report said accusations that FBI agents in New York leaked information about the Clinton investigation to former Mayor Rudy Giuliani have been examined. — Laura Jarrett, CNN, "Justice Dept. internal report expected to fault former FBI, DOJ officials," 7 June 2018Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
Two houses in Rancho Bernardo’s Westwood neighborhood were evacuated early Monday afternoon due to a natural gas leak at a nearby home under fumigation. — Elizabeth Marie Himchak, Rancho Bernardo, "Homes evacuated in Rancho Bernardo due to gas leak," 17 July 2017 After checking ducts, evaluate all the windows and doors for leaks and cracks, and add new weather stripping if necessary. — Cincinnati.com, "Column: Summer weatherization to keep you cool," 30 June 2017 If the container uses ice packs, it must be sealed and in a leak-proof container with the contents clearly marked. — Cynthia Drescher, CNT, "TSA Finds 20-Pound Lobster in Checked Bag," 27 June 2017 At 3:23 p.m., BGE had mitigated the leak, fire vehicles were leaving and the Sheriff's Office was preparing to reopen the road, Fire & EMS spokespersons Rich Gardiner and Jenn Chenworth reported on Facebook. — Staff Report, The Aegis, "Bel Air's Moore's Mill Road reopens after gas leak detected Friday afternoon," 2 June 2017 Truth is being mean leaves more leaks in your camp than the titanic and I .. — Christopher Rosen, EW.com, "Ruby Rose says 'being mean doesn't suit me' after Katy Perry tweets," 21 May 2017 But strep also caused a leak in the BBB near the amygdala, the seat of fear and anxiety, and the lateral hypothalamus, where our sense of hunger begins. — Pamela Weintraub, Discover Magazine, "Hidden Invaders," 29 Mar. 2017 For their part, Trump's aides look on many of those holdovers from the last administration with suspicion, blaming them for leaks. — Tampa Bay Times, "Trump chooses McMaster as national security adviser," 20 Feb. 2017 Your Utility Company In the event of a power outage or suspected gas leak, your utility company is better equipped to handle the problem than emergency responders. — Kelly O'sullivan, Woman's Day, "11 Phone Numbers Every Woman Should Have On Speed Dial," 15 Feb. 2017These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'leak.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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From the Editors at Merriam-Webster
7 Words from Political Scandals
7 Words from Political Scandals
Behind the smoke-filled rooms
Dictionary Entries near leak
Statistics for leak
Last Updated
8 Dec 2018
Look-up Popularity
Time Traveler for leak
The first known use of leak was in the 14th century
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More Definitions for leak
leak
verb
English Language Learners Definition of leak
(Entry 1 of 2)
: to let something (such as a liquid or gas) in or out through a hole in a surface
of a liquid, gas, etc. : to come in or go out through a hole in a surface
: to give (secret information) to someone so that it becomes known to the public
leak
nounEnglish Language Learners Definition of leak (Entry 2 of 2)
: a hole in a surface that lets something (such as a liquid or gas) pass in or out
: an occurrence in which something (such as a liquid or gas) passes through a hole in a surface
: a situation in which people learn about information that is supposed to be secret
See the full definition for leak in the English Language Learners Dictionary
leak
verb
\
Kids Definition of leak
(Entry 1 of 2)
1 : to enter or escape or let enter or escape through an opening usually by accident Fumes were leaking in.
2 : to let a substance or light in or out through an opening The roof was leaking.
3 : to make or become known Don't leak this secret.
leak
nounKids Definition of leak (Entry 2 of 2)
1 : a crack or hole that accidentally lets something pass in or out I fixed the boat's leak.
2 : the accidental or secret passing of information a security leak
3 : an act or instance of leaking a slow leak
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