skeletons in the/someone's closet
idiom
informal
: something bad or embarrassing that happened in someone's past and that is kept secret
He asked if she had any skeletons in her closet that might affect her political campaign.
Examples of skeletons in the/someone's closet in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Rotate and strengthen old passwords Use a password manager to audit your logins
Old passwords are digital skeletons in the closet.
—
Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 2 May 2025
Financial skeletons in the closet are not inherently disqualifying for a candidate for public office, said Jessica Levinson, a professor at Loyola Law School and the former head of the city of L.A.’s ethics commission.
—Laura J. Nelson, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2024
That leads her to a shady tech company with plenty of skeletons in the closet, a pinky-less yakuza leader with a score to settle, and plenty more encounters with her burgeoning nemeses — the robots.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 10 July 2024
But there’s also a pessimistic side: You’re less publicly vetted and more vulnerable to skeletons in the closet.
—Christian Paz, Vox, 2 July 2024
The great cliché of serial-killer stories is the seemingly harmless neighbor with skeletons in the closet (or garage, or freezer).
—James Poniewozik, New York Times, 12 June 2023
Scott Moss doesn’t keep his skeletons in the closet.
—BostonGlobe.com, 8 Oct. 2021
Inflation, for all its virtues, has some skeletons in the closet.
—Sean Carroll, Discover Magazine, 21 Oct. 2011
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.
Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 2 May 2025
Financial skeletons in the closet are not inherently disqualifying for a candidate for public office, said Jessica Levinson, a professor at Loyola Law School and the former head of the city of L.A.’s ethics commission.
—Laura J. Nelson, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2024
That leads her to a shady tech company with plenty of skeletons in the closet, a pinky-less yakuza leader with a score to settle, and plenty more encounters with her burgeoning nemeses — the robots.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 10 July 2024
But there’s also a pessimistic side: You’re less publicly vetted and more vulnerable to skeletons in the closet.
—Christian Paz, Vox, 2 July 2024
The great cliché of serial-killer stories is the seemingly harmless neighbor with skeletons in the closet (or garage, or freezer).
—James Poniewozik, New York Times, 12 June 2023
Scott Moss doesn’t keep his skeletons in the closet.
—BostonGlobe.com, 8 Oct. 2021
Inflation, for all its virtues, has some skeletons in the closet.
—Sean Carroll, Discover Magazine, 21 Oct. 2011
Cite this Entry
“Skeletons in the/someone's closet.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/skeletons%20in%20the%2Fsomeone%27s%20closet. Accessed 21 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share