Definition of tell it like it is
US, informal
: to say what the facts are : to speak about unpleasant things in an honest way
I don't want to offend anyone; I'm just telling it like it is.
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“Tell it like it is.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tell%20it%20like%20it%20is. Accessed 16 Aug. 2022.
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