come out

come out idiom
  1. Become known, be discovered, as in The whole story came out at the trial. [c. 1200]
  2. Be issued or brought out, as in My new book is coming out this month. [Late 1500s]
  3. Make a formal debut in society or on the stage, as in In New York, debutantes come out in winter. [Late 1700s]
  4. End up, result, as in Everything came out wrong. [Mid-1800s] Also see come out ahead.
  5. come out for or against. Declare oneself publicly in favor of or opposed to someone or something, as in The governor came out for a tax cut, or Many senators came out against the bill. [Late 1800s]
  6. Also, come out of the closet. Reveal that one is homosexual, as in The military has specific policies regarding soldiers who come out of the closet while enlisted. [Mid-1900s] Also see the subsequent entries beginning with come out.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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