Jump To:

• 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.

---

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-zey] / ˌɛk spoʊˈzeɪ /

noun

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

   Certain cheap magazines make a fortune out of sensational exposés.

---

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

---

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

---

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

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

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

DNA is now a gold standard, used to expose false convictions.

From Slate ● Aug. 13, 2026

"It is not a big thing to expose people who do that," he said.

From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026

The aim was to expand U.S. influence in Europe, promote ideas suppressed behind the Iron Curtain and, more specifically, expose Soviet culture as staid and doctrinaire.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026

Chesney also talked about the structuring of his practices, specifically with having some in the morning and afternoon to expose his players to the heat.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2026

As badly as I have hurt him, he won’t expose me in front of the cameras.

From "Catching Fire" by Suzanne Collins

In a 2024 exposé on Bowlero’s rise, Amos Barshad introduced a now-familiar category of villain — the private-equity vulture — as more than the average mercenary buying up distressed properties and selling off their parts.

From Salon ● Jul. 3, 2026

The Atlantic’s recent exposé of Kash Patel is full of alarming allegations.

From Salon ● Apr. 24, 2026

It’s this exposé of societal absurdity and Meursault’s atheistic refusal to play along with pacifying notions of sin and redemption, that makes“The Stranger” a pinnacle of confrontational literature.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 10, 2026

SeaWorld and its parent company have struggled for more than a decade to return to prominence after fallout from the release of an exposé about the company’s handling of its orcas.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 12, 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

"The stress of facing execution, combined with the overcrowded conditions, exposes us to illness and anxiety," Desta said.

From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2026

The suit alleges that Kalshi, one of the biggest such markets, exposes New Yorkers to "serious personal and financial risk."

From Barron's ● Jul. 31, 2026

The grandmother in the spotlight, a dyed-in-the-wool New Yorker named Renee, exposes Joshua to the joys of the Big City when he visits from the suburbs.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026

Removing E2F3 alongside the missing RB exposes a critical weakness that researchers believe could be exploited with future therapies.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 4, 2026

When the river level drops, it exposes the lower branches of willows lining the banks.

From "Enrique's Journey" by Sonia Nazario

The protests, which culminated in the resignation last month of education minister Dharmendra Pradhan, exposed deep frustration among young Indians over access to jobs and educational opportunities.

From Barron's ● Aug. 15, 2026

As a result the women have less autonomy, which leaves them exposed.

From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026

After the program was exposed in a national magazine, the College Board quietly ended it.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026

Around Neptune, a destructive event may have exposed material that scientists would otherwise never be able to examine directly.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 14, 2026

The shark stretched her jaws and exposed two missing teeth.

From "The Wild Robot Protects" by Peter Brown

A crowd of 73,946 gathered around Shane Gillis last month to hear his jokes about exposing himself accidentally on Snapchat and looking like a junior-varsity football coach.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026

Public health officials are investigating after a person spent 11 hours at Universal Studios Hollywood while infected with the measles, possibly exposing other parkgoers.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026

Journalists covering last month's youth-led protests in India became targets of public anger and attacks over their perceived support for the government, exposing a deepening crisis of trust in traditional broadcasters.

From Barron's ● Aug. 6, 2026

By exposing the connection between rapid growth and genetic instability, the research provides another piece of the puzzle behind cancer's aggressive behavior.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 2, 2026

Moss felt the gloved hands run over his chest, down his sides, and then his shirt was lifted up, exposing his stomach to everyone, and he felt shame and terror rush through him anew.

From "Anger Is a Gift" by Mark Oshiro