expose
verb (used with object)
to lay open to danger, attack, harm, etc..
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
Super Bowl Blowout: Epic Vocab for the Big Game
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
The SAT: Multiple-Meaning Words, List 3
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
The SAT: Language of the Test, List 5
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
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
Such combined assaults expose a vulnerability in Western air defenses that rely on expensive interceptors to shoot down incoming projectiles.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 27, 2026
Going to trial could expose TikTok to unprecedented public scrutiny of how it handles safety internally, with company documents and executive testimony potentially aired in open court.
From Barron's ● Sep. 25, 2026
It also demonstrates how targeted protein degradation can expose biological functions that may remain invisible when researchers rely only on traditional enzyme inhibitors.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 24, 2026
To move too quickly might expose my scarred cheek to the people, and I wasn’t prepared to do that.
From "The Ugly One" by Leanne Statland Ellis
The unions have no answer to her exposé.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 4, 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 unlikely vehicle is not some glamorous investigative exposé or Pulitzer-winning newsroom crusade.
From Salon ● May 13, 2026
What this exposé casts a light upon is a much less visible element.
From BBC ● Apr. 16, 2026
An exposé of Spiritualism appeared in the October 21, 1888, issue of the New York World.
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
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
Exposing cells directly to a chemical can reveal a potential hazard, but it does not, by itself, show whether eating a food exposes human tissues to enough of that chemical to cause the same damage.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 14, 2026
“The state will not tolerate any activity that exposes Iraq or its relations with brotherly and friendly countries to danger,” said the spokesman, Saba Al-Nu’man.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026
This exposes it to the full lethal effect of the DDT stored in the tissues.
From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson
The lunar surface is exposed to intense temperature changes, harmful ionizing radiation, and frequent impacts from tiny space rocks.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 8, 2026
The settlement applies to around 2,700 people detained at the Adelanto facility between March 11 and Sept. 30, 2020, who were exposed to the disinfectant called HDQ Neutral.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2026
B-1 bombers housed at Britain’s RAF Fairford exposed an Achilles’ heel in U.K. defenses: its air bases are far from drone-proof.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
Australia were exposed before the afternoon session was done, thanks to Naicker and his team.
From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026
The report Eisman wrote trashed all of the subprime originators; one by one, he exposed the deceptions of a dozen companies.
From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis
"We note with concern that not everyone has heeded these warnings, and that individuals are knowingly exposing themselves to mortal danger," the Russian foreign ministry said in a statement.
From Barron's ● Oct. 3, 2026
And much of that snow disappeared quickly in the early and intense heatwaves of May and June, exposing the glacier ice below.
From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026
Lawmakers should only entrust the public’s money to institutions that prove they’re serious about exposing students to unorthodox views and voices.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026
A contrasting perspective holds that dystopian and cautionary science fiction serves an essential purpose by exposing the consequences of reckless behavior, political failure and technological overreach.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2026
At last, technicians reached the Soviet cables, carefully exposing the inner wires and grafting on the wiretaps.
From "Spies: The Secret Showdown Between America and Russia" by Marc Favreau
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
