break the story
Reveal the scoop
To break the story is to be the first to publish or broadcast news, especially something significant or previously unknown: The Washington Post broke the story of the Watergate cover-up.
A journalist who breaks a story gets the scoop before competitors.
The phrase emphasizes priority—once broken, the story belongs to whoever revealed it first.
First-reported story
- exclusiveLimited to one group
- headlineNews article title
- newsflashUrgent broadcast update
- frontpageNewspaper's lead section
leak · exposé · investigation · byline · dateline · newsroom · correspondent · reporter
Make something visible
- disclosureAct of revealing information
- unveilingAct of first revealing
- unmaskingRevealing what's hidden
- uncoveringRevealing something hidden
exposé · announcement · discovery · divulgence · confession · admission · declaration · proclamation
scoop
First-reported story
frontpage · leak · exposé · investigation · byline · dateline · newsroom · correspondent · reporter · whistleblower
reveal
Make something visible
- disclosureAct of revealing information
- unveilingAct of first revealing
- unmaskingRevealing what's hidden
uncovering · exposé · announcement · discovery · divulgence · confession · admission · declaration · proclamation · leak
break the storykill the story
cover up · hush up · censor · keep quiet · black out
break the storybury the lede
Delay the crucial information
underreport · soft-pedal · gloss over · play down · brush aside
break, story, breaks, broken, breaking, breaker, breakage, outbreak, stories