sweep under the rug
Hide something, as in Their attempts to sweep the scandal under the rug were not very successful. This idiom alludes to sweeping dust under the rug, so it won't be seen. [Mid-1900s]
RELATED CONTENT
When Did Football Become Soccer?If you’re reading this in the U.S. or Canada, then maybe you’re familiar with the game of soccer. If you’re reading this pretty much anywhere else, then you probably know the same game rules and call it football. But how did we end up with two words for the same sport? Let’s start in England in the 19th century. Kids played their own versions of football, however …
Nearby words
sweep, sweep account, sweep check, sweep hand, sweep off someone's feet, sweep under the rug, sweep-saw, sweep-second, sweepback, sweeper, sweeping
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.