come out of the closet
Announce one's orientation
To come out of the closet is to openly acknowledge something previously hidden, especially one's homosexuality.
The closet represents concealment; coming out means declaring publicly what was private: She came out of the closet to her parents last year.
Often shortened to come out: He came out in college.
The phrase extends to any disclosure of hidden identity or belief: coming out as a conservative in Hollywood.
- come outEmerge or be disclosed
- confessAcknowledge wrongdoing openly
- divulgeReveal private information
- discoverFind something unknown
- let onReveal what you know
family · reveal · unwrap · truth · courage · give away · bring out · authenticity · visibility · activism · let out · self-expression · be yourself · personal journey · pride · gay pride · expose · acceptance
come out of the closetfly under the radar
Evade attention deliberately
blend in · conform · assimilate · disappear
comes, others, otherwise, close, closed, closet, closets, closure, closing