expose

1 of 2

verb

ex·​pose ik-ˈspōz How to pronounce expose (audio)
exposed; exposing

transitive verb

1
a
: to deprive of shelter, protection, or care : subject to risk from a harmful action or condition
expose troops needlessly
has not yet been exposed to measles
b
: to submit or make accessible to a particular action or influence
expose children to good books
especially : to subject (a sensitive photographic film, plate, or paper) to radiant energy
c
: to abandon (an infant) especially by leaving in the open
2
a
: to make known : bring to light
expose a shameful secret
b
: to disclose the faults or crimes of
expose a murderer
3
: to cause to be visible or open to view : display: such as
a
: to offer publicly for sale
b
: to exhibit for public veneration
c
: to reveal the face of (a playing card) or the cards of (a player's hand)
d
: to engage in indecent exposure of (oneself)
exposer noun

exposé

2 of 2

noun

ex·​po·​sé ˌek-spō-ˈzā How to pronounce exposé (audio)
-spə-
variants or less commonly expose
1
: a formal statement of facts
2
: an exposure of something discreditable
a newspaper exposé of government corruption
Choose the Right Synonym for expose

show, exhibit, display, expose, parade, flaunt mean to present so as to invite notice or attention.

show implies no more than enabling another to see or examine.

showed her snapshots to the whole group

exhibit stresses putting forward prominently or openly.

exhibit paintings at a gallery

display emphasizes putting in a position where others may see to advantage.

display sale items

expose suggests bringing forth from concealment and displaying.

sought to expose the hypocrisy of the town fathers

parade implies an ostentatious or arrogant displaying.

parading their piety for all to see

flaunt suggests a shameless, boastful, often offensive parading.

nouveaux riches flaunting their wealth

Examples of expose in a Sentence

Verb The shingles had fallen off, exposing the wood underneath. Undercover investigators exposed the scam. They threatened to expose him. Noun a newspaper exposé of government corruption The show aired an exposé on the candidate's financial indiscretions.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Here, Leonard brings that scrutiny upon himself, exposing his shortcomings in a way that, should Malcolm’s movie ever come out, would surely undermine his reputation, to which Schrader asks: Is the role of art to be respectable? Peter Debruge, Variety, 17 May 2024 The $210 billion collapse was the third-biggest in American history, sending shockwaves throughout the industry and exposing the solvency issues created by rising interest rates. Dylan Sloan, Fortune, 16 May 2024 The broken system was exposed in 2019, when a disgruntled employee opened fire at the Henry Pratt Co. warehouse in Aurora, killing five co-workers and wounding five officers before dying in a shootout with police. Stacy St. Clair, Chicago Tribune, 16 May 2024 The Trump campaign believes, almost to a person, that Mr. Biden has declined significantly since 2020 and would be exposed in a debate against Mr. Trump. Maggie Haberman, New York Times, 15 May 2024 These analyses further exposed the causes of both military and civilian mortality. Melissa Pritchard, The Conversation, 15 May 2024 However, steel is susceptible to rust when exposed to salt air. Sara Kendall, Miami Herald, 14 May 2024 The vaccine can be given to people even after they’ve been exposed to protect against developing the infection. Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 14 May 2024 Advertisement While lawsuits accusing the city of wrongly exposing workers to asbestos inside the still-vacant 101 Ash St. tower are still pending in San Diego Superior Court, an unrelated case raising similar allegations is just weeks away from trial. Jeff McDonald, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 May 2024
Noun
Documents Justo shared with The Sarawak Report, a blog focused on corruption in Malaysia, led to the first expose of the Petrosaudi pair in 2015. Hugo Miller, Fortune Europe, 2 Apr. 2024 That same day, his anticorruption movement released a 110-minute expose detailing years of graft by Putin and his cronies. Anna Nemtsova, USA TODAY, 24 Feb. 2024 The good thing about this is that figuring out what those paths are exposes where the attackers could potentially impact the organization. Christine Bejerasco, Forbes, 13 Feb. 2024 This page-turner is more than a damning expose of a charismatic P.T. Barnum–like leader. Lila MacLellan, Fortune, 19 Dec. 2023 Stories from the shocking, unauthorized expose about Ray Dalio and Bridgewater Associates have circulated far and wide since it was published earlier this month. Jessica Mathews, Fortune, 30 Nov. 2023 Demand for hospice care will grow dramatically as the population ages, but staff shortages, corporate profiteering and a rash of Medicare fraud and billing scandals have roiled the industry, with recent exposes in the L.A. Times and a joint ProPublica-New Yorker investigation. Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 18 Nov. 2023 In 2022, Honest Reporting published an expose showing that then-CNN producer Idris Mukhtar Ibrahim apparently praised Hamas and Hitler, prompting the outlet to stop working with him. Gabe Kaminsky, Washington Examiner, 9 Nov. 2023 Greece’s railways long suffered from chronic mismanagement, including lavish spending on projects that were eventually abandoned or significantly delayed, Greek media have reported in several exposes. Demetris Nellas and Costas Kantouris, USA TODAY, 5 Mar. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'expose.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, from Anglo-French exposer, from Latin exponere to set forth, explain (perfect indicative exposui), from ex- + ponere to put, place — more at position

Noun

French exposé, from past participle of exposer

First Known Use

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

1803, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of expose was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near expose

Cite this Entry

“Expose.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/expose. Accessed 20 May. 2024.

Kids Definition

expose

1 of 2 verb
ex·​pose ik-ˈspōz How to pronounce expose (audio)
exposed; exposing
1
a
: to leave without shelter, protection, or care
b
: to make open to an action or influence
expose students to good books
had been exposed to measles
especially : to let light fall on (photographic film)
2
: to make known
expose a dishonest scheme
3
: to put on display
exposer noun

exposé

2 of 2 noun
ex·​po·​sé
ˌek-spō-ˈzā
: an exposing of something disgraceful

Medical Definition

expose

transitive verb
ex·​pose ik-ˈspōz How to pronounce expose (audio)
exposed; exposing
1
: to subject to risk from a harmful action or condition
children exposed to measles
2
: to lay open to view: as
a
: to conduct (oneself) as an exhibitionist
b
: to reveal (a bodily part) especially by dissection

Legal Definition

expose

transitive verb
ex·​pose
exposed; exposing
1
: to subject to risk from a harmful action or condition: as
a
: to make (one) open to liability or financial loss
b
: to leave (a child) uncared-for and lacking shelter from the elements
2
: to cause to be visible or open to view: as
a
: to offer publicly for sale
all of which I shall expose for sale at public auctionDetroit Law Journal
b
: to purposely uncover (one's private body parts) or leave open to view in a place or situation in which such conduct is likely to be deemed offensive or indecent especially as set forth by statute see also indecent exposure

More from Merriam-Webster on expose

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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