lay bare

phrase

: to reveal or uncover private information or feelings
He laid bare his soul.
The book is an attempt to lay bare the secrets of this very powerful political family.

Examples of lay bare in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Other works lay bare the kinds of debts that capitalism effaces in order to sustain a fantasy of frictionlessness. Emily Watlington, ARTnews.com, 29 July 2026 The documents, combined with dozens of independent interviews with veterans and school officials, lay bare the extent of the fraud for the first time and underscore VA’s failure to tackle the root causes. Andrew Ba Tran, Washington Post, 22 July 2026 Anadolu / Getty Images file Tuesday's dramatic developments lay bare the tension between Israel’s apparent war goals and what the rest of the world might want to happen. Alexander Smith, NBC news, 18 Mar. 2026 The hearing will lay bare details about the breakdown between Nexperia’s European management and the company’s Chinese owner, with Wingtech defending its actions and claiming local managers sought help from the Dutch government for personal gain. Sarah Jacob, Bloomberg, 14 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for lay bare

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Lay bare.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lay%20bare. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!