spill the beans

idiom/spɪl ðə biːnz/ 🔊 listen

Spill the beans means to reveal a secret or disclose confidential information, often by accident. It's the English equivalent of 'letting the cat out of the bag'.

📖 Meanings

1to reveal secret or confidential information
"Who spilled the beans about the surprise party?" — Who revealed the secret about the surprise party?
2to confess or admit something unintentionally
"Come on, spill the beans — what happened last night?" — Come on, tell me — what happened last night?

🔄 Related idioms

let the cat out of the bag →give away a secret →blow the whistle →

💬 Common patterns

spill the beans aboutaccidentally spill the beansdon't spill the beans
❓ Which sentence uses 'spill the beans' correctly?