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• expose
  expose

  verb (used with object)

  to lay open to danger, attack, harm, etc..
• exposé
  exposé

  noun

  a public exposure or revelation, as of something discreditable.

expose

¹ American  

[ik-spohz] / ɪkˈspoʊz /

verb (used with object)

• exposes,
  present (3rd person singular)
• exposed,
  past participle,  past
• exposing
  present participle

1. to lay open to danger, attack, harm, etc..

   to expose soldiers to gunfire;

   to expose one's character to attack.

   Synonyms:

   jeopardize, imperil, endanger, subject

2. to lay open to something specified.

   to expose oneself to the influence of bad companions.

   Antonyms:

   shield, protect

3. to uncover or bare to the air, cold, etc..

   to expose one's head to the rain.

4. to present to view; exhibit; display.

   The storekeeper exposed his wares.

5. to make known, disclose, or reveal (intentions, secrets, etc.).

   Synonyms:

   betray, unveil, uncover

   Antonyms:

   hide, conceal

6. to reveal or unmask (a crime, fraud, impostor, etc.).

   to expose a swindler.

7. to hold up to public reprehension or ridicule (fault, folly, a foolish act or person, etc.).

8. to desert in an unsheltered or open place; abandon, as a child.

9. to subject, as to the action of something.

   to expose a photographic plate to light.

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idioms

1. expose oneself, to exhibit one's body, especially one's genitals, publicly in an immodest or exhibitionistic manner.

exposé ² American  

[ek-spoh-zay] / ˌɛk spoʊˈzeɪ /

noun

1. a public exposure or revelation, as of something discreditable.

   Certain cheap magazines make a fortune out of sensational exposés.

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expose ¹ British  

/ ɪkˈspəʊz /

verb

1. to display for viewing; exhibit

2. to bring to public notice; disclose; reveal

   to expose the facts

3. to divulge the identity of; unmask

4. (foll by to) to make subject or susceptible (to attack, criticism, etc)

5. to abandon (a child, animal, etc) in the open to die

6. (foll by to) to introduce (to) or acquaint (with)

   he was exposed to the classics at an early age

7. photog to subject (a photographic film or plate) to light, X-rays, or some other type of actinic radiation

8. RC Church to exhibit (the consecrated Eucharistic Host or a relic) for public veneration

9. to display one's sexual organs in public

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exposé ² British  

/ ɛksˈpəʊzeɪ /

noun

1. the act or an instance of bringing a scandal, crime, etc, to public notice

2. an article, book, or statement that discloses a scandal, crime, etc

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• exposability
  noun
• exposal
  noun
• exposer
  noun
• exposable
  adjective
• self-exposing
  adjective
• unexposable
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• exposing
  present
• exposed
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• expose
  simple
• exposes
  simple
• have exposed
  perfect
• has exposed
  perfect
• am exposing
  progressive
• are exposing
  progressive
• is exposing
  progressive
• have been exposing
  perfect progressive
• has been exposing
  perfect progressive

Past

• exposed
  simple
• had exposed
  perfect
• was exposing
  progressive
• were exposing
  progressive
• had been exposing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will expose
  simple
• will have exposed
  perfect
• will be exposing
  progressive
• will have been exposing
  perfect progressive

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Etymology

Origin of expose¹

First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English exposen, from Old French exposer, equivalent to ex- ex- ¹ + poser “to put” ( see pose ¹), replacing Latin expōnere “to put out, expose, set forth in words”; see expound

Origin of exposé²

First recorded in 1795–1805; from French, noun use of past participle of exposer expose

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Explanation

To expose means to uncover or allow to be in the open air. If you take off your coat and expose your bare arms to the terrible cold, your tattoos might freeze off. (Note: We don’t actually know if this is physically possible.) When you pronounce expose as it’s spelled, it can mean to leave out in the air, to put in peril (when you expose someone to danger), or to uncover. All of those examples are actions. However, when you pronounce it as though there is a French accent on the final "e," ex-poh-ZAY, it means the unmasking or exposure of something hidden (and usually bad or fraudulent), as when you watch an expose on 60 Minutes about the evils of frozen orange juice or some other toxic substance.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

expose exposé exposes exposed exposing

“A conservative allocation of 20% equities and 80% bonds and cash wouldn’t expose the portfolio to too much risk and should allow for a modestly higher return profile,” Katz adds.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 29, 2026

“This is really the key announcement that allows them to expose that more.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 2026

In a typical physics experiment, researchers can expose a detector to a beam containing a known type of particle with a specific energy and direction.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 28, 2026

The surprise inclusion of a certain actor and staged reenactments are among the film’s non-conventional elements that expose the tensions between performance, nonfiction and truth.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2026

A good cat fact to know is that they only expose their tummies when they feel safe.

From "Crenshaw" by Katherine Applegate

The unions have no answer to her exposé.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 4, 2026

An exposé of the worst of the worst of reality TV shows, this documentary about “The Swan” is a reminder of the damage this genre can do.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2026

Before Jon Swaine’s exposé in the Post, it had been well known for years that Gabbard grew up in a cult in Hawaii and has continued to be affiliated with it throughout her life.

From Salon ● Jun. 25, 2026

Whereas the European gothic, he concludes, was “an enlightened attack on a debased ruling class or entrenched superstition,” its American version emerged as “a Calvinist exposé of natural human corruption.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 22, 2026

All the journalist took from the Louvre was material for an article, an exposé on the museum’s lousy security.

From "The Mona Lisa Vanishes" by Nicholas Day

Silver faces additional pressure because its use in industrial applications exposes prices to weaker manufacturing activity, Aslam said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2026

Passively scrolling through social media feeds or watching one short video after another exposes users to a rapid stream of changing information.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 12, 2026

"It protects the institution and then exposes the whistleblower to extreme retaliation and devastation to their lives and families," he said.

From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026

The retreating ice exposes Arctic coastlines to waves, worsening coastal erosion and raising risks for coastal communities and infrastructure, the report warned.

From Barron's ● Sep. 30, 2026

This exposes it to the full lethal effect of the DDT stored in the tissues.

From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson

"Forty-three percent of household wealth is now exposed to the stock market, an increase of 10 percentage points from 2000," said Cavalier.

From Barron's ● Nov. 6, 2026

Frontier AI models have exposed new software vulnerabilities, and increased tension with the quartet of national actors driving most cyber activity—Russia, Iran, North Korea and China—has understandably put business on edge.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026

The prime minister added: "Credit to the victims, huge credit, the courage that it's taken, but also the journalists who've exposed this."

From BBC ● Nov. 6, 2026

Bloom is most heavily exposed to data-center end markets and could be more heavily impacted, Dendrinos said.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 5, 2026

Workers at the plant were being exposed to high levels of radiation, and it became clear they wouldn’t be able to stay within the legal exposure limit.

From "Meltdown" by Deirdre Langeland

"It saves probers hours and hours of standing shoulder to shoulder and poking in the snow, and also exposing themselves to secondary avalanche hazards," Ward said.

From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2026

Yet while exposing the deceit is helpful, it’s no remedy.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 2026

By September, snow had disappeared even at elevations of 3,500 meters, exposing glacier ice that would normally remain protected beneath a layer of snow.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 23, 2026

“As attorney general, I’ve sued some of the largest companies in the world … for taking advantage of our kids by exposing them to dangerous, addictive material,” Paxton said after defeating Cornyn in May.

From Salon ● Oct. 17, 2026

Their latches fall open, exposing the fans' primrose-pink pattern.

From "The Belles" by Dhonielle Clayton

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