in the cold light of day
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Dispassionately, unemotionally, especially at a later time. For example, They had a terrible fight about the mix-up, but in the cold light of day they realized they were both at fault. This expression transfers the illumination of daylight to rational understanding and uses cold to emphasize the lack of passion.
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Words nearby in the cold light of day
in the case of, in the chips, in the circumstances, in the clear, in the clouds, in the cold light of day, in the course of, in the dark, in the dock, in the doghouse, in the doldrums
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
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