Phrase guide

spill the beans

verb · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˌspɪl ðə ˈbiːnz/
  • Australia: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -iːnz

1

verb

Meaning 1

To reveal a secret; to disclose information.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: idiomatic, intransitive

Examples

  • They had planned it as a surprise party, but somebody spilled the beans.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: let the cat out of the bag, spill one's guts, spill the tea

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

divulge confidential information or secrets

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • Be careful--his secretary talks

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: let the cat out of the bag, talk, tattle, blab, peach, babble, sing, babble out, blab out

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: unwrap, disclose, let on, bring out, reveal, discover, expose, divulge, break, give away, let out

History

Etymology

First attested in 20th century American English. One possible origin for the phrase is from an Ancient Greek practice of using different-coloured beans for voting, where spilling the jar containing them would unwantedly reveal the results, though this might be folk etymology.

Across languages

Translations

48 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Armenian: թափել թեյը (tʻapʻel tʻeyə) — to reveal a secret; to disclose information — see also let the cat out of the bag
  • Bulgarian: издавам тайната (izdavam tajnata) — to reveal a secret; to disclose information — see also let the cat out of the bag
  • Bulgarian: проговоря (progovorja) — to reveal a secret; to disclose information — see also let the cat out of the bag
  • Chinese Cantonese: 爆料出嚟 (baau3 liu2 ceot1 lai4) — to reveal a secret; to disclose information — see also let the cat out of the bag
  • Chinese Mandarin: 露餡 /露馅 (lòuxiàn) — to reveal a secret; to disclose information — see also let the cat out of the bag
  • Danish: spilde teen — to reveal a secret; to disclose information — see also let the cat out of the bag
  • Dutch: een boekje opendoen — to reveal a secret; to disclose information — see also let the cat out of the bag
  • Finnish: kieliä — to reveal a secret; to disclose information — see also let the cat out of the bag
  • Finnish: paljastaa — to reveal a secret; to disclose information — see also let the cat out of the bag
  • Finnish: laverrella — to reveal a secret; to disclose information — see also let the cat out of the bag
  • French: cracher le morceau — to reveal a secret; to disclose information — see also let the cat out of the bag
  • French: lâcher le morceau — to reveal a secret; to disclose information — see also let the cat out of the bag
  • French: vendre la mèche — to reveal a secret; to disclose information — see also let the cat out of the bag
  • German: ausplaudern — to reveal a secret; to disclose information — see also let the cat out of the bag
  • German: auspacken — to reveal a secret; to disclose information — see also let the cat out of the bag
  • German: alles verraten — to reveal a secret; to disclose information — see also let the cat out of the bag
  • Greek: χύνω το τσάι (chýno to tsái) — to reveal a secret; to disclose information — see also let the cat out of the bag
  • Hebrew: הִלְשִׁין (hilshín) — to reveal a secret; to disclose information — see also let the cat out of the bag
  • Hungarian: elárul — to reveal a secret; to disclose information — see also let the cat out of the bag
  • Hungarian: kitálal — to reveal a secret; to disclose information — see also let the cat out of the bag
  • Hungarian: eljár a szája — to reveal a secret; to disclose information — see also let the cat out of the bag
  • Icelandic: leysa frá skjóðunni — to reveal a secret; to disclose information — see also let the cat out of the bag
  • Icelandic: kjafta frá — to reveal a secret; to disclose information — see also let the cat out of the bag
  • Italian: vuotare il sacco — to reveal a secret; to disclose information — see also let the cat out of the bag
  • Italian: sputare il rospo — to reveal a secret; to disclose information — see also let the cat out of the bag
  • Italian: spifferare — to reveal a secret; to disclose information — see also let the cat out of the bag
  • Italian: gettare il sangue — to reveal a secret; to disclose information — see also let the cat out of the bag
  • Italian: cantare — to reveal a secret; to disclose information — see also let the cat out of the bag
  • Polish: puszczać farbę — to reveal a secret; to disclose information — see also let the cat out of the bag
  • Polish: puścić farbę — to reveal a secret; to disclose information — see also let the cat out of the bag
  • Polish: uchylać rąbka tajemnicy — to reveal a secret; to disclose information — see also let the cat out of the bag
  • Polish: uchylić rąbka tajemnicy — to reveal a secret; to disclose information — see also let the cat out of the bag
  • Portuguese: confessar — to reveal a secret; to disclose information — see also let the cat out of the bag
  • Romanian: da din casă — to reveal a secret; to disclose information — see also let the cat out of the bag
  • Romanian: trăda un secret — to reveal a secret; to disclose information — see also let the cat out of the bag
  • Russian: проговори́ться (progovorítʹsja) — to reveal a secret; to disclose information — see also let the cat out of the bag
  • Russian: проболта́ться (proboltátʹsja) — to reveal a secret; to disclose information — see also let the cat out of the bag
  • Serbo-Croatian: одати тајну — to reveal a secret; to disclose information — see also let the cat out of the bag
  • Serbo-Croatian: проговорити — to reveal a secret; to disclose information — see also let the cat out of the bag
  • Serbo-Croatian: odati tajnu — to reveal a secret; to disclose information — see also let the cat out of the bag
  • Serbo-Croatian: progovoriti — to reveal a secret; to disclose information — see also let the cat out of the bag
  • Sicilian: curtigghiari — to reveal a secret; to disclose information — see also let the cat out of the bag
  • Somali: daadin digirta — to reveal a secret; to disclose information — see also let the cat out of the bag
  • Spanish: irse de la lengua — to reveal a secret; to disclose information — see also let the cat out of the bag
  • Spanish: cantar de plano — to reveal a secret; to disclose information — see also let the cat out of the bag
  • Spanish: soltar la sopa — to reveal a secret; to disclose information — see also let the cat out of the bag
  • Swedish: spilla teet — to reveal a secret; to disclose information — see also let the cat out of the bag
  • Welsh: gollwng y ffa — to reveal a secret; to disclose information — see also let the cat out of the bag