reveal
Americanverb (used with object)
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reveals,
present (3rd person singular)
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revealed,
past participle, past
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revealing
present participle
noun
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reveals
plural
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an act or instance of revealing; disclosure.
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an act or instance of showing or revealing something surprising for the first time.
Stay tuned for the renovation's big reveal!
The big reveal of the season was that the main character was the murderer.
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Architecture.
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the part of the jamb of a window or door opening between the outer wall surface and the window or door frame.
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the whole jamb of an opening between the outer and inner surfaces of a wall.
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the framework or edge of an automobile window.
verb
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(may take a clause as object or an infinitive) to disclose (a secret); divulge
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to expose to view or show (something concealed)
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(of God) to disclose (divine truths) either directly or through the medium of prophets, etc
noun
Synonym Usage
Reveal, disclose, divulge share the meaning of making known something previously concealed or secret. To reveal is to uncover as if by drawing away a veil: The fog lifted and revealed the harbor. To disclose is to lay open and thereby invite inspection: to disclose the plans of an organization. To divulge is to communicate, sometimes to a large number of people, what was at first intended to be private, confidential, or secret: to divulge the terms of a contract.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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revealabilitynoun
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revealablenessnoun
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revealernoun
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revealingnessnoun
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revealmentnoun
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prerevealverb (used with object)
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half-revealedadjective
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nonrevealingadjective
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revealableadjective
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revelativeadjective
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self-revealedadjective
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unrevealableadjective
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unrevealedadjective
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unrevealingadjective
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revealedlyadverb
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revealinglyadverb
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unrevealinglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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revealsimple
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revealssimple
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have revealedperfect
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has revealedperfect
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am revealingprogressive
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are revealingprogressive
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is revealingprogressive
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have been revealingperfect progressive
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has been revealingperfect progressive
Past
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revealedsimple
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had revealedperfect
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was revealingprogressive
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were revealingprogressive
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had been revealingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of reveal
First recorded in 1325–75; (verb) Middle English revelen, from Middle French reveler, from Latin revēlāre “to unveil” ( re-, veil ); reveal ( for defs. 4, 5 ) derivative of obsolete revale “to lower,” from Old French revaler ( re- re- + (a)valer “to lower,” verbal derivative of the phrase à val “down”; see vale)
Explanation
When you make something visible or make it public information, you reveal it. For example, if you want to plan a picnic, wait until forecasters reveal the weather that is predicted. The verb reveal comes from the Latin word revelare meaning "unveil," like when you take off your hat to reveal your new haircut, or when you reveal information about your past that will shock or amuse your friends. You might also be familiar with the noun form of reveal, makeover show-speak for the moment viewers see the newly renovated room or someone's dramatic new look, as in saving the reveal for the end of the show so people keep watching.
Vocabulary lists containing reveal
PARCC: Language of the Test (Grade7)
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Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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The SAT: Language of the Test, List 5
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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.
See Examples For:
“The court recognized that confidential sources are the ‘lifeblood’ of investigative reporting and that dragnet demands from technology companies to reveal those sources violate the law.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 12, 2026
In 2002, Greenville’s longtime mayor, Knox White, removed a highway overpass to reveal the waterfall from the Reedy River that flows through downtown and make way for a park.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 12, 2026
By May, it was time to reveal what they found.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 11, 2026
It also demonstrates how proteins preserved in ancient teeth can reveal clues about extinct human relatives that their bones alone cannot provide.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 11, 2026
“And we have a matching set,” George told Sue, parting his hair to reveal the scars Nanuq’s claws had left on his scalp.
From "Two Degrees" by Alan Gratz
Including losses alongside the winners that attract attention reveals considerable activity and disappointing performance.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 13, 2026
As an older man, Bogdanovich reveals a sadder, more sensitive side, especially when he talks about his parents and his father’s failure to realize his own dreams of artistic success.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 13, 2026
The report reveals she was forced into a humiliating apology earlier this year, for giving misleading information about a review into a patient's death during surgery.
From BBC ● Nov. 12, 2026
He doesn’t say, though he reveals himself to have a darker sensibility than his “straight Midwestern manner,” as he calls it, might suggest.
From Slate ● Nov. 12, 2026
This is when Beetee reveals the rest of the plan.
From "Catching Fire" by Suzanne Collins
His portraits of slaveholders are nuanced, with some revealed as especially abusive, others as more humane.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 13, 2026
Some questions go deeper than the information expected to be revealed on the call.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 13, 2026
A BBC investigation revealed safety reports had noted serious concerns about conditions in parts of the water treatment plant five years before the explosion.
From BBC ● Nov. 13, 2026
The “corruption” depicted in “Network” is revealed in UBS’s response to Beale’s downfall.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 13, 2026
The girl lifted her hands and revealed tiny bandages of gauze tied about three of her fingers.
From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood
AFP was given access to the site -- classified as strategic critical infrastructure -- on condition of not revealing its location.
From Barron's ● Nov. 13, 2026
She reluctantly agrees, though it means opening old wounds, singing old songs and revealing long-held secrets.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 13, 2026
In 2023, after a media investigation revealing allegations about Brand's behaviour - which he denies - YouTube suspended his channels from making money from adverts for "violating" its "creator responsibility policy".
From BBC ● Nov. 12, 2026
“We will be back. We loved the location,” he told the Journal, revealing that he would be buying another home in the area after he retires.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 10, 2026
All traces of humor and mischief have evaporated from her eyes, revealing the same intense look that Ma must have inherited.
From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
