expose

[ik-spohz]

|||

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR expose ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object), ex·posed, ex·pos·ing.

to lay open to danger, attack, harm, etc.: to expose soldiers to gunfire; to expose one's character to attack.

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

expose oneself, to exhibit one's body, especially one's genitals, publicly in an immodest or exhibitionistic manner.

Origin of expose

1425–75; late Middle English exposen < Old French exposer, equivalent to ex- ex-¹ + poser to put (see pose¹), rendering Latin expōnere to put out, expose, set forth in words; see expound

Related formsex·pos·a·ble, adjectiveex·pos·a·bil·i·ty, nounex·pos·er, nounself-ex·pos·ing, adjectiveun·ex·pos·a·ble, adjective

Can be confusedexpose exposé

Synonyms for expose

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR expose ON THESAURUS.COM

1. subject, endanger, imperil, jeopardize. 5. uncover, unveil, betray.

Antonyms for expose

2. protect, shield. 5. conceal, hide, cover up.

exposé

[ek-spoh-zey]

noun

a public exposure or revelation, as of something discreditable: Certain cheap magazines make a fortune out of sensational exposés.

Origin of exposé

1795–1805; < French, noun use of past participle of exposer to expose

Can be confusedexpose exposé

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for expose

disclose, prove, unmask, bare, uncover, open, display, endanger, jeopardize, exhibit, streak, parade, show, feature, flaunt, advertise, manifest, brandish, unearth, leak

Examples from the Web for expose

Contemporary Examples of expose

Shirtless bros with pillowy lips and cargo pants pulled down to expose tufts of pubic hair.
Abercrombie & Ditch: The Fall of the House of Tween
Lizzie Crocker
December 10, 2014
When MTV first started airing The Real World, it was meant to expose the brutal truth about human nature.
MTV’s Diem Brown Dies: When Reality TV Starts Getting Real
Kevin Fallon
November 14, 2014
Drones need be matched with deeds that expose the false precepts of Al Qaeda's narrative.
Why’s Al Qaeda So Strong? Washington Has (Literally) No idea
Bruce Riedel
November 9, 2014
He praised Snowden for having the “balls” to expose the crimes of the NSA.
The Bolshevik Who Thinks ‘The Nation’ Is Too Left Wing
Eli Lake
October 26, 2014
In response to the protest action, and an expose in Buzzfeed, Blue Coat issued a statement disclaiming responsibility.
Egypt’s LGBTs Fight Grindr Crackdown
Jay Michaelson
October 18, 2014

Historical Examples of expose

Had the dead come back from the bottom of the sea to expose him?
Brave and Bold
Horatio Alger
Is it wise of you to expose yourself so much to the infection?
Weighed and Wanting
George MacDonald
You also expose it to the danger of being run over by taxicabs and trains.
A Treatise on Parents and Children
George Bernard Shaw
He was vainly entreated not to expose himself to the infection.
Cameos from English History, from Rollo to Edward II
Charlotte Mary Yonge
I lose no time, I expose myself to no danger, by this system.
Tales And Novels, Volume 8 (of 10)
Maria Edgeworth

British Dictionary definitions for expose

expose

verb (tr)

to display for viewing; exhibit

to bring to public notice; disclose; revealto 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

expose oneself to display one's sexual organs in public

Derived Formsexposable, adjectiveexposal, nounexposer, noun

Word Origin for expose

C15: from Old French exposer, from Latin expōnere to set out; see exponent

exposé

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

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for expose

early 15c., "to leave without shelter or defense," from Middle French exposer "lay open, set forth" (13c.), from Latin exponere "set forth" (see expound), altered by confusion with poser "to place, lay down" (see pose (v.1)). Meaning "to exhibit openly" is from 1620s; that of "to unmask" is from 1690s. Photographic sense is from 1839. Related: Exposed; exposes; exposing.

also exposé, "display of discreditable information," 1803, initially as a French word; past participle of French exposer (see expose (v.)). Earliest use was in reference to Napoleon.