know the score

Idioms

Also, know what's what. Understand what is happening; be familiar with the real story or the full situation. For example, It will take the new legislators some time to know the score, or When it comes to teaching youngsters to read, Nell knows what's what. The first expression, dating from about 1930, alludes to score as a tally of points in a game. The variant dates from about 1400.

Example Sentences

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know the score

"Everyone seems to know the score, they've seen it all before."

From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026

Montoya can at least claim to know the score, since he was a Spanish reality TV veteran before romantic distress transformed him into a heartsick Sonic the Hedgehog.

From Salon ● Mar. 13, 2025

You probably know the score already, but never mind that: It’s all about the way it makes you feel.

From New York Times ● May 7, 2020

Storm Lake needs Tom Cullen hounding the sheriff and the school superintendent on the phone so we know the score.

From The Guardian ● Apr. 6, 2020

Her teeth are like sparkling and her eyes are like flashing and my heart is beating like crazy but I know the score.

From "145th Street: Short Stories" by Walter Dean Myers

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

know the score

Example Sentences

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