the jig is up

phrase

US, informal + old-fashioned

—used to say that a dishonest plan or activity has been discovered and will not be allowed to continue

The jig is up: where did you hide the stolen goods?

Examples of the jig is up in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Between the timing and Elsbeth spotting a shiny, brand-new replacement for Johnny’s beat-up old harness and carabiner, the jig is up, giving Elsbeth a moment to shine on the set of Raquel’s Behind the Black Veil interview, prosecuting her case in the persona of a reality-show host. — Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 24 Oct. 2025

America is at the start of the third act now, where the jig is up but things haven’t yet wound down. — Harry Siegel, New York Daily News, 13 July 2024

Rhymes for the jig is up

• backup
• blowup
• breakup
• buildup
• checkup
• cleanup
• holdup
• hookup
• lineup
• lockup
• makeup
• markup