in the open
Not under cover
In the open means outdoors or in an exposed area without cover: We slept in the open under the stars.
More often, it describes information or activity that has become public rather than hidden: The scandal brought their affair into the open.
To be out in the open is to be visible, known, or no longer secret.
- aboveboardHonest and unconcealed
- revealedMade visible or known
- exposedOut in open
- broad daylightFully visible daytime conditions
- candidHonest and direct
plain sight · forthright · cards on the table · al fresco · outdoors · disclosed · uncovered · overt · acknowledged · publicized · unobstructed · visible · confessed · announced · unprotected · wilderness · laid bare · aired
in the openhidden
Kept out of sight
concealed · out of sight · under cover · obscured · camouflaged
in the openin secret
Without others knowing
covertly · under wraps · clandestinely · hush-hush · privately
open, opening, openly, opened, opens, openness, opener, reopen, unopened