expose
verb (used with object)
to lay open to danger, attack, harm, etc..
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expose
1 American
[ik-spohz]
/ ɪkˈspoʊz /
verb (used with object)
-
exposes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
exposed,
past participle, past
-
exposing
present participle
-
to lay open to danger, attack, harm, etc..
to expose soldiers to gunfire;
to expose one's character to attack.
- Synonyms:
- jeopardize, imperil, endanger, subject
-
to lay open to something specified.
to expose oneself to the influence of bad companions.
-
to uncover or bare to the air, cold, etc..
to expose one's head to the rain.
-
to present to view; exhibit; display.
The storekeeper exposed his wares.
-
to make known, disclose, or reveal (intentions, secrets, etc.).
-
to reveal or unmask (a crime, fraud, impostor, etc.).
to expose a swindler.
-
to hold up to public reprehension or ridicule (fault, folly, a foolish act or person, etc.).
-
to desert in an unsheltered or open place; abandon, as a child.
-
to subject, as to the action of something.
to expose a photographic plate to light.
idioms
exposé
2
American
[ek-spoh-zay]
/ ˌɛk spoʊˈzeɪ /
noun
expose
1
British
/ ɪkˈspəʊz /
verb
-
to display for viewing; exhibit
-
to bring to public notice; disclose; reveal
to expose the facts
-
to divulge the identity of; unmask
-
(foll by to) to make subject or susceptible (to attack, criticism, etc)
-
to abandon (a child, animal, etc) in the open to die
-
(foll by to) to introduce (to) or acquaint (with)
he was exposed to the classics at an early age
-
photog to subject (a photographic film or plate) to light, X-rays, or some other type of actinic radiation
-
RC Church to exhibit (the consecrated Eucharistic Host or a relic) for public veneration
-
to display one's sexual organs in public
exposé
2
British
/ ɛksˈpəʊzeɪ /
noun
-
the act or an instance of bringing a scandal, crime, etc, to public notice
-
an article, book, or statement that discloses a scandal, crime, etc
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
exposabilitynoun
-
exposalnoun
-
exposernoun
-
exposableadjective
-
self-exposingadjective
-
unexposableadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
exposesimple
-
exposessimple
-
have exposedperfect
-
has exposedperfect
-
am exposingprogressive
-
are exposingprogressive
-
is exposingprogressive
-
have been exposingperfect progressive
-
has been exposingperfect progressive
Past
-
exposedsimple
-
had exposedperfect
-
was exposingprogressive
-
were exposingprogressive
-
had been exposingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of expose1
First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English exposen, from Old French exposer, equivalent to ex- ex- 1 + poser “to put” ( see pose 1), replacing Latin expōnere “to put out, expose, set forth in words”; see expound
Origin of exposé2
First recorded in 1795–1805; from French, noun use of past participle of exposer expose
Explanation
To expose means to uncover or allow to be in the open air. If you take off your coat and expose your bare arms to the terrible cold, your tattoos might freeze off. (Note: We don’t actually know if this is physically possible.) When you pronounce expose as it’s spelled, it can mean to leave out in the air, to put in peril (when you expose someone to danger), or to uncover. All of those examples are actions. However, when you pronounce it as though there is a French accent on the final "e," ex-poh-ZAY, it means the unmasking or exposure of something hidden (and usually bad or fraudulent), as when you watch an expose on 60 Minutes about the evils of frozen orange juice or some other toxic substance.
Vocabulary lists containing expose
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Nothing escapes Maupassant’s attention: the attitudes intended to shield weak character that expose it instead; the vanity that fools no one; the morality unwittingly displayed by styles of dress.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
“In almost every case, it’d be better to avoid the surgery than to expose the patient to the risk of a botched operation.”
From Slate ● Oct. 16, 2026
Some match familiar anatomical structures, while others expose chemical boundaries that previous approaches had overlooked.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 13, 2026
Speaking ahead of the visit, Burnham said the UK and Germany were "joining forces to find, expose and disrupt" threats.
From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026
This conferred instant credibility upon his preferred role as designated truth teller, poised to expose the chaotic reality beneath all uplifting accounts of the Revolution.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
I came in search of an exposé and found a humble tram driver.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026
Your morning catch-up: An environmental exposé documentary, what we know about the Netflix-Warner Bros. deal, and more big stories.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
Before Jon Swaine’s exposé in the Post, it had been well known for years that Gabbard grew up in a cult in Hawaii and has continued to be affiliated with it throughout her life.
From Salon ● Jun. 25, 2026
Whereas the European gothic, he concludes, was “an enlightened attack on a debased ruling class or entrenched superstition,” its American version emerged as “a Calvinist exposé of natural human corruption.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 22, 2026
The story ran across the country, “Kate Fox Jencken … intends to co-operate with her sister—Margaretta Fox Kane—in her proposed exposé of the fraudulent methods of so-called spiritualism.”
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
Aaron says men could find it difficult to express their feelings "as it's bred in us that it exposes weakness or vulnerability".
From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026
The retreating ice exposes Arctic coastlines to waves, worsening coastal erosion and raising risks for coastal communities and infrastructure, the report warned.
From Barron's ● Sep. 30, 2026
This also exposes the bearish case, which investors should not ignore.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 15, 2026
One exposes inflammatory genes, while the other provides the immune signal needed to activate them.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 14, 2026
Suppose a citizen leaks information that exposes government wrongdoing, but breaks the law in doing so.
From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin
Nor was parent or guardian personal information exposed, officials said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2026
Its unusually exposed active site also provides space for the enzyme to interact with polymer chains.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 16, 2026
Six workers in Democratic Representative Ritchie Torres in New York were exposed to white powder found in a letter on Friday, CBS News reported.
From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026
They also see Europe as a potential diversifier in global portfolios in the event of the AI trade unwinding further, as regions less exposed to the theme could provide some protection.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026
If it came off, Glenn would be exposed to three-thousand-degree heat as he reentered Earth’s atmosphere, about the same temperature as the sun.
From "Reaching for the Moon" by Katherine Johnson
“As attorney general, I’ve sued some of the largest companies in the world … for taking advantage of our kids by exposing them to dangerous, addictive material,” Paxton said after defeating Cornyn in May.
From Salon ● Oct. 17, 2026
Digital sleuths have for years misidentified accused perpetrators of high-profile shootings and other crimes, exposing them to abuse.
From Barron's ● Oct. 15, 2026
“When a bank of this size fails to meet its anti-money laundering and sanctions obligations, the consequences extend far beyond its own walls, exposing the entire U.S. financial system to significant illicit finance risks.”
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 14, 2026
Ocha said in a statement that the area reportedly struck on Friday had been "under sustained atttack in recent weeks, displacing thousands of civilians and exposing many more to grave harm".
From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2026
The bathroom was off the porch, and the latch to its door was broken, so that sometimes the wind would pull the door open, exposing the person sitting on the toilet.
From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
