lift the lid

English

Verb

lift the lid (third-person singular simple present lifts the lid, present participle lifting the lid, simple past and past participle lifted the lid)

1. (transitive with on or off) (chiefly UK, informal, figuratively) To reveal or expose something, especially information.

   Synonyms: take the lid off, blow the lid off, lift the veal on, lift the curtain on, lift the lid on

   • 1990 November 12, Celestine Bohlen, “Ethnic Rivalries Revive in East Europe”, in The New York Times‎^[1], section A, page 1:

     In the 10 months since the Romanian revolution lifted the lid off Transylvania's ancient national rivalries, the Romanians and Hungarians who have shared this land for centuries have been living in a state of tense alert, ready for the next spark to fly.

   • 2014 June 6, Min Zin, “The People vs. The Monks”, in The New York Times‎^[2]:

     One of the darkest aspects of Myanmar’s political transition is a surge in religious intolerance, especially toward Muslims. Liberalization has lifted the lid on many pent-up grievances, and old-timers in the government and the monkhood are stoking these sentiments.

Further reading

• “lift the lid on”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.
• “lift the lid on”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.
• “lift the lid on something” (US) / “lift the lid on something” (UK) in Macmillan English Dictionary.