lead a double life

Idioms  

1. Live as if one were two persons, usually one good and one bad. For example, They learned that his frequent travels were actually fictitious, and he was leading a double life, with a second home on the other side of town. This phrase is frequently used for a married person who establishes a second household with a lover. [Late 1800s] Also see Jekyll and Hyde.

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

lead a double life

It is challenging to wrap my head around your husband’s choice to basically lead a double life for these last eight years.

From Washington Post ● Dec. 23, 2022

Fejes said she knows of gay people who do not come out in Kecskemet but rather lead a double life, spending time in Budapest where anonymity is easier.

From Reuters ● Dec. 13, 2021

He said he felt a sense of relief that he no longer had to lead a double life and persuaded me to give him a chance to prove his love.

From The Guardian ● Aug. 31, 2018

Some lead a double life, out to family and close friends but stealth with co-workers and distant acquaintances.

From Slate ● Jun. 29, 2018

The fellow who does that, Mr. Bib, wants to lead a double life, and that is reprehensible.

From The Genial Idiot His Views and Reviews by John Kendrick Bangs