Definition of disclosenext

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb disclose differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of disclose are betray, divulge, reveal, and tell. While all these words mean "to make known what has been or should be concealed," disclose may imply a discovering but more often an imparting of information previously kept secret.

candidates must disclose their financial assets

Where would betray be a reasonable alternative to disclose?

The synonyms betray and disclose are sometimes interchangeable, but betray implies a divulging that represents a breach of faith or an involuntary or unconscious disclosure.

a blush that betrayed her embarrassment

In what contexts can divulge take the place of disclose?

While the synonyms divulge and disclose are close in meaning, divulge implies a disclosure involving some impropriety or breach of confidence.

refused to divulge an anonymous source

When would reveal be a good substitute for disclose?

While in some cases nearly identical to disclose, reveal may apply to supernatural or inspired revelation of truths beyond the range of ordinary human vision or reason.

divine will as revealed in sacred writings

When is it sensible to use tell instead of disclose?

In some situations, the words tell and disclose are roughly equivalent. However, tell implies an imparting of necessary or useful information.

told them what he had overheard

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of disclose He’s also been constrained by fibromyalgia, a condition Jacobs only recently began disclosing publicly. — Kevin McKeough, Chicago Tribune, 14 Oct. 2026 Police did not disclose the name of the roller coaster, but witnesses described seeing the man fall from Goliath, and aerial footage reviewed by CNN showed Goliath riders stopped at a steep incline before being evacuated down a high stairway. — Karina Tsui, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2026 The company says the law merely prohibits video rental stores from disclosing customers' rental histories without consent. — ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026 Prior to the laws, placement agents were not subject to state oversight and were not required to disclose complaints or to refer clients to licensed facilities. — Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for disclose
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disclose
Verb
  • The extra baggage negates the weightlessness, revealing a more flawed and earthbound iteration of the band.
    — Gabriel Szatan, Pitchfork, 18 Oct. 2026
  • When scandals are revealed, teams and leagues with close ties to gambling companies are accused of hypocrisy.
    — Hannah Keyser, CNN Money, 18 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • They are discovered well beyond the bounds of the strategic map, where the winds shift, the old answers sink, and the pilot must find the way by dead reckoning.
    — Jeff DeGraff, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2026
  • After a five-and-a-half-year absence, Tom Cotton has recently discovered a state called Arkansas.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 16 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Some economists, including researchers at the Minneapolis Fed, argue the data don’t tell such a clean story.
    — Molly A. Wallace, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The company agrees with skeptics like the NFL that justices must eventually opine on whether states and tribes should regulate its sports event contracts as sports bets, a Supreme Court litigator working with Kalshi told Semafor.
    — Eleanor Mueller, semafor.com, 16 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Curious developers have uncovered new functionalities, built innovative tools and shared them through open source and platform-specific forums.
    — Kevin Cochrane, Forbes.com, 16 Oct. 2026
  • In bogs, history is sequestered and suspended in time, but can be revealed at any moment, just as layers of peat can be uncovered.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Disclose.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disclose. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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