Definition

1. Noun:
   • A revelation of something discreditable: An "exposé" is a public disclosure or revelation of a scandal, crime, or other harmful or embarrassing fact, especially one that was previously hidden or secret.
   • A detailed report: It can also refer to a written or broadcast account that reveals such information, often in a journalistic or investigative context.

Usage Examples

• (A public revelation of dishonest activities by officials.)
• (A detailed report revealing hidden dangers.)
• (A disclosure of poor management practices.)

Advanced Usage

• "to write an exposé": to produce a detailed report that reveals hidden truths.

  • The author spent years researching before writing an exposé of the pharmaceutical industry. (A thorough investigation leading to a published revelation.)

• "the subject of an exposé": the person or organization being revealed.

  • The politician became the subject of an exposé after evidence of bribery emerged. (The target of a public disclosure.)

Variants and Related Words

• Expose (verb): to reveal or make something known, especially something bad or dishonest.

  • The documentary aimed to expose the truth about the factory's pollution. (To bring hidden facts to light.)

• Exposed (adj): left unprotected or made vulnerable; also, revealed to public view.

  • The exposed wiring posed a safety hazard. (Uncovered and dangerous.)

• Exposure (noun): the state of being exposed to something, or the act of revealing something.

  • The scandal's exposure ruined his career. (The act of making it public.)

Synonyms

• Disclosure: the act of making new or secret information known.
• Revelation: a surprising and previously unknown fact, especially one that is made known in a dramatic way.
• Uncovering: the process of revealing something hidden.
• Muckraking: investigative journalism that seeks to expose scandals and corruption (often used with a negative connotation).

Related Idioms

• "Blow the lid off": to reveal something secret or illegal, especially a scandal.

  • The whistleblower blew the lid off the company's fraudulent practices. (Exposed the hidden wrongdoing.)

• "Come to light": to become known or revealed.

  • The truth about the accident came to light after the exposé was published. (Became public knowledge.)

Phrasal Verbs

• Expose as (phrasal verb): to reveal that someone or something is actually a particular thing, often something bad.

  • The investigation exposed the charity as a front for money laundering. (Revealed its true, illegal nature.)

• Expose to (phrasal verb): to make someone experience something or be affected by something.

  • The documentary exposed viewers to the harsh realities of war. (Brought them into contact with difficult truths.)