How do you use "Let the cat out of the bag" in a sentence?

She let the cat out of the bag about the surprise party. Who let the cat out of the bag about the merger? I accidentally let the cat out of the bag.

Let the cat out of the bag

Q: What does "Let the cat out of the bag" mean?

To reveal a secret accidentally To disclose something that was meant to be kept hidden, often unintentionally. Once the cat is out, you can't put it back—the secret is known.

Slang Term BritishAmericanAustralian ★★★★★ Very Common Casual

Practice this with flashcards, quizzes & audio on WordLoci →

Meaning: To reveal a secret accidentally

不小心泄露秘密。

Revelar un secreto accidentalmente.

うっかり秘密を漏らす。

실수로 비밀을 누설하다

To disclose something that was meant to be kept hidden, often unintentionally. Once the cat is out, you can't put it back—the secret is known.

'Let the cat out of the bag'（把猫从袋子里放出来）意味着不小心泄露秘密——一旦泄露就无法收回。这种泄露通常是无意的，而且经常引起问题。

'Sacar el gato de la bolsa' significa revelar un secreto accidentalmente—una vez fuera, no se puede volver a meter. La revelación es generalmente involuntaria y a menudo causa problemas.

「let the cat out of the bag」は秘密をうっかり漏らすこと—一度出たら元に戻せない。暴露は通常意図せず、しばしば問題を引き起こします。

숨겨야 할 것을 실수로 드러내는 것. 한번 고양이가 자루에서 나오면 다시 넣을 수 없듯이—비밀은 이미 알려진 것이다.

Examples

She let the cat out of the bag about the surprise party.
谁把派对的事说漏了？
¿Quién reveló lo de la fiesta?
パーティーのことを誰がばらしたの？
그녀가 깜짝 파티 얘기를 그만 발설해 버렸다.
Who let the cat out of the bag about the merger?
我不是故意说漏嘴的
No quería revelar el secreto
うっかり口を滑らせてしまった
합병 건에 대해 누가 비밀을 누설한 거야?
I accidentally let the cat out of the bag.
秘密已经泄露了
El secreto ya está descubierto
もう秘密はばれている
나도 모르게 비밀을 발설해 버렸다.

Pronunciation

/let ðə kæt aʊt əv ðə bæɡ/

Usage Guide

Context: secrets, revelations, accidents

Tone: casual, sometimes accusatory

✓ Do Say

Let the cat out of the bag
不小心泄露了秘密
Descubrir el pastel
うっかり秘密をばらす
실수로 비밀을 누설하다
Who let the cat out?
谁泄的密？
¿Quién descubrió el pastel?
誰がばらしたんだ？
비밀이 탄로났다

✗ Don't Say

Very common expression
这是一个非常常见的表达
Es una expresión muy común
非常に一般的な表現
매우 흔한 표현

Common Mistakes

None—universally understood

Origin & History

Possibly from market fraud where sellers would substitute a worthless cat for a valuable pig in a bag. Opening the bag revealed the deception. Alternatively, from the 'cat o' nine tails' naval whip kept in a bag.

Etymology: Possibly from market fraud with bagged animals

First recorded: 18th century

Cultural Context

Era: 18th century onwards

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal

Pop culture: Very common idiom

Regional notes: Universal across English-speaking world.

Variations

Let the cat out of the bagThe cat's out of the bag