open secret

noun

: a supposedly secret but generally known matter

Examples of open secret in a Sentence

It's an open secret that he's been cheating on his wife.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The dispatch of North Korean soldiers’ to Russia is still an open secret within the secluded regime which has limited access to news from the outside world. Hakyung Kate Lee, ABC News, 16 Jan. 2025 While their wonderful selection of cashmere is an open secret (peep just about any of our holiday guides), their alpaca blend knits are a sleeper hit. Nashia Baker, Architectural Digest, 29 Nov. 2024 My musical dreams were just that, something like an open secret. Ernesto Lechner, Rolling Stone, 7 Oct. 2024 Oil is an open secret, the shadow side of our petroleum-hungry moment. Hazlitt, 21 Aug. 2024 See All Example Sentences for open secret

Word History

First Known Use

1828, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of open secret was in 1828

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Open secret.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/open%20secret. Accessed 21 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

open secret

noun
: something supposed to be a secret but in fact generally known

More from Merriam-Webster on open secret

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!