name names

Idioms  

1. Specify persons by name, especially those who are accused of something. For example, More than one person was involved in the robbery, and his lawyer said he would get a shorter sentence if he named names. It is also put negatively, name no names, as in Some of our neighbors disobey the town's leash law, but I'm naming no names. The negative form was first recorded in 1792.

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Example Sentences

“I can’t name names, but I worked with my biggest celebrity yet, so I’m really excited about that,” she shares.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 3, 2026

He declines to name names and instead talks in general about the three powers jockeying for dominance: Russia, China and the U.S.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 13, 2026

She described begging ICE to comply with court orders, emailing in 24-point font and threatening to name names in filings.

From Salon • Feb. 6, 2026

He also said that he hopes the inquiry's chair, Sir Wyn Williams, would "name names in this one".

From BBC • Dec. 16, 2024

Many parents seem to believe that a child cannot prosper unless it is hitched to the right name; names are seen to carry great aesthetic or even predictive powers.

From "Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything" by Steven D. Levitt