name names
Reveal the guilty
To name names is to identify specific individuals, especially when doing so exposes them to consequences.
The phrase typically appears in contexts of accusation, testimony, or betrayal: The witness refused to name names under questioning.
During the McCarthy era, those who named names identified suspected communists to congressional investigators.
The phrase implies that merely describing events isn't enough—someone wants the people responsible identified.
- listSequence of recorded items
- informantOne who provides intelligence
- betrayViolate a trust
- throw under the busBetray for self-preservation
- accuseClaim someone did wrong
point the finger · label · whistleblowing · identify · reveal · spill the beans · accusation · confess · implicate · testimony · divulge · rat out · drop a dime · turn state's evidence · exposure · snitch · accountability · disclose
- accusationsaccusation, accuse, accuser, allegation, allege
- Informerssnitch, informer, informant, fink, squealer
name nameskeep secret
Not reveal information
withhold · keep mum · hold one's tongue · keep quiet · cover up
name, names, named, naming, nameless, namely, namesake, nickname, misnomer