come clean

C

come clean

Meaning

• to make a disclosure
• to confess everything that there is to confess
• to tell the entire truth
• admit to or tell the truth about something, make a full confession

Example Sentences

1. The guy came clean after the police had started their investigation about the robbery.
2. I have to come clean about this incident else my conscious will kill me anyway.
3. My children always come clean about making the mess in the house. They help me tidy the place every evening.
4. The politician came clean in front of the lawyer but denied all charges in the court of law.
5. The man came clean about going to her house but he said he was there only to apologize for his behaviour and did not stay for more than 10 minutes.
6. You need to come clean to your parents about this girl that you have been dating.
7. College students are usually the last to come clean about such parties that they attend.
8. To come clean, I should have done something wrong in the first place!
9. After experiencing strong examination, the accused after all determined to come clean and give a detailed explanation of the occurrence.

Origin

The phrase is either from the late 19^th or the beginning of the 20^th century. The literary origin was most likely in the work titled ‘Moberly Evening Democrat’ which was published in the year 1904.

About the Author

Elena Jones holds a PhD in Education from Harvard University. She has extensive experience teaching at both the K–12 and university levels, with a particular focus on English as a Second Language. Elena has dedicated her career to advancing educational practices, and she has contributed to numerous educational journals.