leak
Americannoun
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an unintended hole, crack, or the like, through which liquid, gas, light, etc., enters or escapes.
a leak in the roof.
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an act or instance of leaking.
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any means of unintended entrance or escape.
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Electricity. the loss of current from a conductor, usually resulting from poor insulation.
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a disclosure of secret, especially official, information, as to the news media, by an unnamed source.
verb (used without object)
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to let a liquid, gas, light, etc., enter or escape, as through an unintended hole or crack.
The boat leaks.
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to pass in or out in this manner, as liquid, gas, or light.
gas leaking from a pipe.
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to become known unintentionally (usually followed byout ).
The news leaked out.
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to disclose secret, especially official, information anonymously, as to the news media.
The official revealed that he had leaked to the press in the hope of saving his own reputation.
verb (used with object)
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to let (liquid, gas, light, etc.) enter or escape.
This camera leaks light.
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to allow to become known, as information given out covertly.
to leak the news of the ambassador's visit.
idioms
noun
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a crack, hole, etc, that allows the accidental escape or entrance of fluid, light, etc
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such escaping or entering fluid, light, etc
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to develop a leak
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something resembling this in effect
a leak in the defence system
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the loss of current from an electrical conductor because of faulty insulation, etc
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a disclosure, often intentional, of secret information
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the act or an instance of leaking
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a slang word for urination See urination
verb
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to enter or escape or allow to enter or escape through a crack, hole, etc
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to disclose (secret information), often intentionally, or (of secret information) to be disclosed
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(intr) a slang word for urinate
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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leaksimple
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leakssimple
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have leakedperfect
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has leakedperfect
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am leakingprogressive
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are leakingprogressive
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is leakingprogressive
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have been leakingperfect progressive
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has been leakingperfect progressive
Past
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leakedsimple
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had leakedperfect
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was leakingprogressive
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were leakingprogressive
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had been leakingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of leak
1375–1425; 1955–60 leak for def. 11; late Middle English leken < Old Norse leka to drip, leak; akin to Dutch lek, obsolete German lech leaky. See leach 1
Explanation
A leak involves the release of something. It can be a behind-someone’s-back leak of sensitive information, a leak from a milk carton, or a leak in the roof that lets rain water drip in. As a verb, leak means to allow light or fluid to escape, or to enter or escape as though through a hole. Light can leak in through the curtains, water can leak out of an almost-closed faucet, or information can leak to the press. A leak is almost always a bad thing — it indicates that something that should be contained has broken out or escaped.
Vocabulary lists containing leak
Talk Like Shakespeare Day, List 6
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Cormac McCarthy's "The Road"
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Simply Scandalous!
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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.
The bad news is my waders have just sprung a leak.
From BBC • Jun. 30, 2026
Getting rid of the physical disc also facilitates distribution by reducing supply-chain hiccups and the possibility of a premature leak.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 25, 2026
Every screenshot, statement or supposed leak linked to the coming title draws frenzied online scrutiny.
From Barron's • Jun. 24, 2026
Last month, Indian authorities arrested the alleged mastermind behind this year’s medical exam leak, a chemistry lecturer involved in the testing process.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 20, 2026
I felt myself smile back and leak another tear.
From "Hope Springs" by Jaime Berry
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.
