let the cat out of the bag

idiom/lɛt ðə kæt aʊt əv ðə bæɡ/ 🔊 listen

Let the cat out of the bag means to accidentally reveal a secret or surprise. It's closely related to 'spill the beans' — both mean giving away information that was meant to stay hidden.

📖 Meanings

1to accidentally reveal a secret
"Oops, I let the cat out of the bag about her promotion." — Oops, I accidentally revealed her promotion.
2to ruin a planned surprise by talking
"Don't let the cat out of the bag — it's a surprise party!" — Don't reveal it — it's a surprise party!

🔄 Related idioms

spill the beans →give away a secret →blow the whistle →

💬 Common patterns

let the cat out of the bag aboutaccidentally let the cat outdon't let the cat out
❓ "He let the cat out of the bag." What happened?