reveal

verb

re·veal | \ ri-ˈvēl

revealed; revealing; reveals

Definition of reveal

(Entry 1 of 3)

transitive verb

1 : to make known through divine inspiration

2 : to make (something secret or hidden) publicly or generally known reveal a secret

3 : to open up to view : display the uncurtained window revealed a cluttered room

reveal

noun (1)

plural reveals

Definition of reveal (Entry 2 of 3)

: the act or an instance of showing, revealing, or disclosing something (such as surprising information or a new product) for the first time Last year, in the fall and holiday after the reveal of the iPhone 7, Apple sold 78.29 million phones.— Eric Limer … it's tough to discuss the final volume of the series without acknowledging some of the big reveals of its predecessors.— David Kamp The big end reveal isn't just a shock; it's deeply upsetting, an emotional gut-punch.— Matt Prigge That fact will eventually become evident, no doubt … . That is the art of the slow reveal.— Peter J. Boyer

reveal

noun (2)

Definition of reveal (Entry 3 of 3)

: the side of an opening (as for a window) between a frame and the outer surface of a wall also : jamb

Other Words from reveal Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about reveal

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Choose the Right Synonym for reveal

Verb

reveal, disclose, divulge, tell, betray mean to make known what has been or should be concealed. reveal may apply to supernatural or inspired revelation of truths beyond the range of ordinary human vision or reason. divine will as revealed in sacred writings disclose may imply a discovering but more often an imparting of information previously kept secret. candidates must disclose their financial assets divulge implies a disclosure involving some impropriety or breach of confidence. refused to divulge an anonymous source tell implies an imparting of necessary or useful information. told them what he had overheard betray implies a divulging that represents a breach of faith or an involuntary or unconscious disclosure. a blush that betrayed her embarrassment

Examples of reveal in a Sentence

Verb

She would not reveal the secret. The test revealed the true cause of death. It was revealed that they stole over $1 million. They revealed the plans for the new building. The expression on his face revealed how he felt. The curtain was lifted to reveal the grand prize. Pulling up the carpeting revealed the home's beautiful hardwood floors.

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Last week, court records from the U.S. Defense Department revealed that Mr. Whelan was removed from the military in 2008 for trying to steal more than $10,000 in government cash while deployed at a base in Iraq. — Georgi Kantchev, WSJ, "U.S. Citizen Charged With Spying in Russia Could Face Lengthy Detention," 9 Jan. 2019 According to Domino, a recent survey by online wedding registry site Zola—which polled over 1,000 people—revealed a vast majority (over three quarters) of newlyweds regretted not having cookware on their registries. — Taylor Mead, House Beautiful, "Newlyweds Agree Their Biggest Wedding Registry Regret Is Not Registering For Cookware," 4 Jan. 2019 But the new two-minute clip revealed quite a bit more. — Sara Delgado, Teen Vogue, "New "Zoe Valentine" Trailer Shows Anna Cathcart's Character Dealing With Grief," 3 Jan. 2019 Research by Sutphin revealed that in addition to money, many kinship-care givers expressed needs for mental-health care, respite services and help navigating the social-services bureaucracy. — Marcus Harrison Green, The Seattle Times, "Grandparents raising grandkids say they need more help from Washington state," 28 Dec. 2018 The occultation revealed that Ultima Thule is either shaped like a rubber duck, looking a bit like two mounds squashed together. — Loren Grush, The Verge, "On New Year’s Day, a spacecraft will zoom by the most distant object humanity has ever visited," 27 Dec. 2018 Later, it was revealed that the company had recently changed their policy from requiring two human drivers in the car to only requiring one. — Alissa Walker, Curbed, "The good, the bad, and the ugly of self-driving cars in 2018," 27 Dec. 2018 Just last week, Kate Middleton revealed that her three young children were getting into the Christmas spirit. — Chloe Foussianes, Town & Country, "Princess Charlotte Had Some Mother-Daughter Time with Kate Middleton at The Nutcracker," 6 Dec. 2018 On Thursday, Marriott—which merged with Starwood in 2016 to create the world's largest hotel company—revealed that the personal information of up to 500 million Starwood guests had been compromised by hackers. — Meredith Carey, Condé Nast Traveler, "Marriott Data Breach: What to Do If You've Been Affected," 30 Nov. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'reveal.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

History and Etymology for reveal

Verb

Middle English revelen, from Anglo-French reveler, from Latin revelare to uncover, reveal, from re- + velare to cover, veil, from velum veil

Noun (2)

alteration of earlier revale, probably ultimately from Middle French ravaler to reduce the depth of (masonry or wood), literally, to take back down, from Old French, from re- + avaler to let fall — more at vail

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