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:
It was the summer of 2018, days before France kicked off their World Cup-winning campaign that Antoine Griezmann laid out his plans for the big reveal.
From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026
But John knows he doesn’t have the luxury to reveal his frustrations.
From Salon ● Aug. 14, 2026
For Belk, the results are also notable because they reveal an aspect of brain aging that appears to be distinctly human.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 14, 2026
The rare docuseries that’s too short, each episode favors breadth over depth but does reveal how sports increasingly intersected with American culture and politics.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026
Brigit removed the items to reveal faded illustrations of the Paragons in its base.
From "The Marvellers" by Dhonielle Clayton
Steffi Cao argues that America’s favorite new beverage reveals a lot about the vibes economy.
From Slate ● Aug. 14, 2026
A new WSJ documentary based on leaked data, interviews and never-before-seen videos reveals how a single team of these workers infiltrated at least eight companies in just a few months.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
Cat Razzell - Linda and Razzell's daughter - previously told the BBC her father should not be released until he admits what he did and reveals where her mother's body is.
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026
A Berkshire filing reveals a very active quarter for buying stocks, including Alphabet.
From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026
An open sliding door reveals a lush Zen garden.
From "Warcross" by Marie Lu
Separately, the EBU revealed that Israeli cosmetics company Moroccan Oil had ended its sponsorship of Eurovision after six years.
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026
And he revealed plans to commission firefighting planes, of the types used to douse flames in Europe and the United States.
From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026
But it also revealed another side of the scheme: the Americans whose lives have been upended along the way.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
The findings revealed two major routes by which the glymphatic system removes particles from the brain, including amyloid beta proteins associated with Alzheimer's disease -- and the speeds of those routes are dramatically different.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 13, 2026
Only the hank of sleep-mussed hair poking through the blankets revealed his presence.
From "The Hidden Gallery" by Maryrose Wood
Parsons echoed those feelings at last week's fans' forum but has urged the club to move on, revealing that Eckert has now been asked to "focus on football".
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026
“The approach unfolds gradually, revealing the home with a sense of anticipation that is both cinematic and unforgettable.”
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 14, 2026
It is also an awfully revealing picture of where American trust in the food system is right now.
From Salon ● Aug. 14, 2026
Characters deliver jabs at “Jeff Bozos” and the Epstein class while slyly revealing you shouldn’t trust their takes, either.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026
The garage door of Chip’s house began rising, revealing Chip and his bike.
From "Found" by Margaret Peterson Haddix
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.
