Idioms are fun phrases that mean something different from the literal words you say. People use them every day to make talking and writing much more colorful and exciting. In this lesson, you will learn a wonderful collection of idioms related to hiding something and keeping secrets.
In this lesson, we’ll look at idioms for hiding something that mean keeping secrets, concealing objects, and staying quiet. Let’s get started and explore some of these helpful expressions.
Idioms for Hiding Something
1. Sweep under the rug
Meaning: This idiom means trying to hide a problem, mistake, or secret so nobody notices it.
For Example: Do not try to sweep your messy bedroom floor toys under the rug. / He tried to sweep his mistake under the rug, but the teacher found out.
Other Ways to Say: Conceal a problem / Hide a mistake
2. Skeleton in the closet
Meaning: This idiom refers to a shameful or embarrassing secret someone tries hard to keep hidden.
For Example: Every family has a funny little skeleton in the closet they do not talk about. / He treated his past bad test grade like a dark skeleton in the closet.
Other Ways to Say: Embarrassing secret / Hidden shame
3. Keep your cards close to your chest
Meaning: This idiom means keeping your plans and secrets hidden from other people.
For Example: During the board game, she played smart and kept her cards close to her chest. / He kept his surprise party plans close to his chest so nobody would guess.
Other Ways to Say: Be secretive / Hide your plans
4. Hush-hush
Meaning: This idiom describes a topic or plan kept very secret and quiet from everyone.
For Example: The birthday party details were kept totally hush-hush until Saturday. / We whispered about the secret clubhouse project in a hush-hush manner.
Other Ways to Say: Very secret / Confidential
5. Play your cards close to your chest
Meaning: This idiom means keeping your intentions and secrets carefully concealed.
For Example: Winning the trivia game required him to play his cards close to his chest. / She kept her drawing ideas close to her chest during art class.
Other Ways to Say: Keep secrets / Hide intentions
6. Keep something under wraps
Meaning: This idiom means keeping a project or secret hidden until the right time.
For Example: We kept our science fair robot project under wraps until competition day. / He kept his birthday present under wraps in the closet.
Other Ways to Say: Keep secret / Hide away
7. Bite your tongue
Meaning: This idiom means stopping yourself from saying a secret or speaking when you should stay quiet.
For Example: I had to bite my tongue so I would not spoil the surprise party. / She wanted to blurt out the answer, but she bit her tongue.
Other Ways to Say: Stay quiet / Keep a secret
8. My lips are sealed
Meaning: This idiom means promising solemnly not to tell a secret to anyone.
For Example: When he told me his secret plan, I smiled and said my lips are sealed. / Trust me with your surprise because my lips are sealed.
Other Ways to Say: Swear secrecy / Will not tell
9. Cat got your tongue
Meaning: This idiom is a playful question asked when someone stays unusually quiet and hides words.
For Example: You look so quiet today, has the cat got your tongue? / When the teacher asked who took the cookie, he sat silent like the cat got his tongue.
Other Ways to Say: Silent / Speechless
10. Pull the wool over someone’s eyes
Meaning: This idiom means tricking someone or hiding the truth to deceive them.
For Example: You cannot pull the wool over my eyes because I know you ate the last cookie. / He tried to pull the wool over his parents’ eyes about his homework.
Other Ways to Say: Trick someone / Deceive
11. Behind closed doors
Meaning: This idiom describes a secret meeting or discussion held privately away from others.
For Example: The club members held a meeting behind closed doors to plan the surprise. / Discussion about the award winners happened behind closed doors.
Other Ways to Say: Privately / In secret
12. On the down low
Meaning: This idiom means keeping an activity or plan very quiet and secret.
For Example: We kept our clubhouse building project on the down low from the bigger kids. / She told me her secret on the down low during recess.
Other Ways to Say: Secretly / Quietly
13. Cover your tracks
Meaning: This idiom means hiding evidence so nobody can find out what you did.
For Example: He cleaned up the spilled juice quickly to cover his tracks. / Make sure you cover your tracks if you borrow markers without asking.
Other Ways to Say: Hide evidence / Erase clues
14. Leave no trace
Meaning: This idiom means hiding all evidence of your actions so nothing is found.
For Example: After eating the snacks, we made sure to leave no trace of crumbs behind. / The sneaky puppy left the room and tried to leave no trace.
Other Ways to Say: Hide completely / Clean up thoroughly
15. In the dark
Meaning: This idiom means keeping someone uninformed and hidden from important information.
For Example: We kept Mom in the dark about the surprise breakfast we were making. / He felt left in the dark when everyone else knew the plan.
Other Ways to Say: Uninformed / Kept secret
16. Smoke and mirrors
Meaning: This idiom describes tricks used to hide the truth and confuse people.
For Example: His complicated excuse about missing homework felt like smoke and mirrors. / Magic tricks use smoke and mirrors to conceal how they work.
Other Ways to Say: Deception / Tricks
17. Keep a lid on it
Meaning: This idiom means keeping a secret or keeping exciting news quiet.
For Example: We won the contest, but we had to keep a lid on it until the assembly. / Please keep a lid on this secret until tomorrow.
Other Ways to Say: Keep quiet / Hide news
18. Bury your head in the sand
Meaning: This idiom means pretending a problem or secret does not exist by ignoring it.
For Example: Do not bury your head in the sand when your messy room needs cleaning. / Ignoring the missing homework is just burying your head in the sand.
Other Ways to Say: Ignore reality / Hide from problems
19. Off the record
Meaning: This idiom means sharing information privately with the agreement that it stays secret.
For Example: The coach told us off the record who would start the game. / What I am telling you now is completely off the record.
Other Ways to Say: Privately / Secret information
20. Under the table
Meaning: This idiom describes a secret, hidden, or dishonest deal done privately.
For Example: Trading baseball cards during class happened under the table so the teacher would not see. / They made an under the table agreement about sharing crayons.
Other Ways to Say: Secretly / Hidden transaction
21. Put in the vault
Meaning: This idiom means locking away a secret so securely that nobody can find it.
For Example: I locked the diary with my secrets and put the memory in the vault. / Consider this plan put in the vault of our friendship.
Other Ways to Say: Securely hidden / Locked away
22. Play possum
Meaning: This idiom means pretending to be asleep, inactive, or unaware to hide what you are doing.
For Example: My little brother played possum in bed when he heard footsteps coming. / The sneaky cat played possum near the toy mouse.
Other Ways to Say: Pretend ignorance / Act asleep
23. Hide in plain sight
Meaning: This idiom means placing an object right out in the open where people overlook it.
For Example: My glasses were sitting on my desk, hidden in plain sight all along. / The red marker was hidden in plain sight next to the paper.
Other Ways to Say: Overlooked / Right before your eyes
24. Sweep under the carpet
Meaning: This idiom means concealing a messy problem or secret hoping nobody notices.
For Example: He tried to sweep his broken toy under the carpet instead of fixing it. / Do not sweep your chores under the carpet.
Other Ways to Say: Hide trouble / Conceal mess
25. Keep under your hat
Meaning: This idiom means keeping a secret to yourself and telling nobody.
For Example: I have a fun secret to share, so please keep it under your hat. / He promised to keep the surprise party plan under his hat.
Other Ways to Say: Keep secret / Don’t tell
26. Keep mum
Meaning: This idiom means staying silent and refusing to reveal a secret.
For Example: Grandma told us to keep mum about the surprise dessert. / He promised to keep mum when asked about the prank.
Other Ways to Say: Stay silent / Keep quiet
27. Zip your lip
Meaning: This idiom means closing your mouth tightly to avoid sharing a secret.
For Example: Zip your lip because the birthday boy is walking down the hall! / She smiled at me and zipped her lip about the prize.
Other Ways to Say: Shut up / Be quiet
28. Play your cards right
Meaning: This idiom means using secret strategies carefully to achieve success.
For Example: If you play your cards right, you might win the board game. / He played his cards right and kept his project plans hidden until winning.
Other Ways to Say: Use strategy / Act cleverly
29. Keep a secret
Meaning: This idiom means holding information and refusing to share it with others.
For Example: Can you keep a secret about where we are hiding the gift? / Keeping a secret builds trust between friends.
Other Ways to Say: Hold information / Conceal facts
30. Cloak and dagger
Meaning: This idiom describes secretive, mysterious activities involving spies or hidden plots.
For Example: Passing notes in the classroom felt like a cloak and dagger operation. / The mystery book was full of cloak and dagger secrets.
Other Ways to Say: Mysterious / Secretive
31. Behind the scenes
Meaning: This idiom describes secret work done away from the public view before an event.
For Example: We worked hard behind the scenes to build the club stage set. / Many people help behind the scenes during school plays.
Other Ways to Say: Privately / Hidden preparation
32. Under wraps secret
Meaning: This idiom means keeping a creative project hidden until the grand reveal.
For Example: We kept our art sculpture under wraps secret until the gallery show. / His painting stayed under wraps secret all week.
Other Ways to Say: Hidden project / Secret creation
33. Pull the rug out
Meaning: This idiom jokingly relates to exposing a secret plan that was hidden.
For Example: Finding the hidden candy stash pulled the rug out from my plans. / Revealing the truth pulled the rug out from the rumor.
Other Ways to Say: Expose secret / Disrupt plan
34. Smoke screen
Meaning: This idiom describes creating a distraction to hide your true intentions or actions.
For Example: Telling a funny joke acted as a smoke screen while he hid his toy. / Their noisy game was just a smoke screen for the surprise.
Other Ways to Say: Distraction / Cover story
35. Whitewash
Meaning: This idiom means covering up mistakes or bad actions to make them look innocent.
For Example: He tried to whitewash his messy room by pushing toys into the closet. / Do not try to whitewash your broken rule.
Other Ways to Say: Cover up / Hide faults
36. Paper over the cracks
Meaning: This idiom means hiding a problem temporarily instead of fixing it properly.
For Example: Taping the broken box together was just papering over the cracks. / Ignoring the bad grade is papering over the cracks.
Other Ways to Say: Hide flaws temporarily / Conceal damage
37. Keep out of sight
Meaning: This idiom means remaining hidden so people cannot see you or your items.
For Example: Put your wrapped presents out of sight in the closet. / The puppy stayed out of sight behind the sofa.
Other Ways to Say: Hide / Remain unseen
38. Hush up
Meaning: This idiom means forcing people to stop talking so a secret stays concealed.
For Example: The organizers tried to hush up the mistake before anyone noticed. / Please hush up about the broken vase.
Other Ways to Say: Silence / Cover up
39. Play it close to the vest
Meaning: This idiom means guarding your secrets and plans carefully.
For Example: In card games, she always plays it close to the vest. / He played it close to the vest when asked about his surprise.
Other Ways to Say: Be secretive / Hide plans
40. Keep under lock and key
Meaning: This idiom means securing valuable items or secrets behind a locked door.
For Example: Mom keeps the spare house key under lock and key in the desk. / My diary is kept under lock and key.
Other Ways to Say: Securely locked / Hidden safely
41. Stash away
Meaning: This idiom means hiding extra items or money safely in a secret place.
For Example: He liked to stash away extra candy bars in his desk drawer. / We stashed away art supplies in the back cabinet.
Other Ways to Say: Hide away / Store secretly
42. Squirrel away
Meaning: This idiom means collecting and hiding things carefully for future use.
For Example: She would squirrel away stickers in her special notebook. / Squirrel away your colored pencils so they don’t get lost.
Other Ways to Say: Store secretly / Hide supplies
43. Tuck away
Meaning: This idiom means placing an object neatly into a hidden or private spot.
For Example: He tucked away his favorite comic book behind the pillow. / We tucked away the extra chairs in the closet.
Other Ways to Say: Hide neatly / Store away
44. Put away secretly
Meaning: This idiom means storing items out of sight without telling anyone.
For Example: She put away secretly the extra cookies in the pantry. / He put away secretly his report card in his folder.
Other Ways to Say: Hide away / Store privately
45. Keep dark
Meaning: This idiom means keeping information secret and away from other people.
For Example: He wanted to keep his art project dark until the contest. / Keep the surprise party dark from everyone in class.
Other Ways to Say: Keep secret / Conceal
46. Lock in a box
Meaning: This idiom means putting a secret note or item inside a container and securing it.
For Example: We wrote our wishes on paper and locked them in a box. / His secret collection stayed locked in a box.
Other Ways to Say: Securely stored / Hidden away
47. Cover up
Meaning: This idiom means hiding wrong actions, mistakes, or secrets from discovery.
For Example: Trying to cover up a spilled drink with a rug only makes it worse. / He tried to cover up his missing homework.
Other Ways to Say: Hide truth / Conceal mistake
48. Put a blanket over it
Meaning: This idiom means silencing discussion and hiding a problem from public view.
For Example: The principal tried to put a blanket over the silly rumor. / Putting a blanket over the messy project solved nothing.
Other Ways to Say: Silence / Hide problem
49. Put a lid on
Meaning: This idiom means stopping noise or keeping a secret tightly concealed.
For Example: Please put a lid on the whispering during reading time. / We put a lid on the surprise party plans.
Other Ways to Say: Silence / Keep secret
50. Keep secret
Meaning: This idiom means holding facts and refusing to let others find out.
For Example: It is hard to keep secret a puppy present for long. / He promised to keep secret his hiding spot.
Other Ways to Say: Conceal / Hold back
51. Guard closely
Meaning: This idiom means protecting a secret or valuable item with great care.
For Example: She guarded closely her recipe for chocolate chip cookies. / He guarded closely his baseball card collection.
Other Ways to Say: Protect / Hide carefully
52. Hold close
Meaning: This idiom means keeping a secret or personal thought private in your mind.
For Example: He liked to hold close his dreams of building a treehouse. / She held her surprise plans close to her heart.
Other Ways to Say: Keep private / Cherish secretly
53. Bottle up
Meaning: This idiom means hiding your feelings or secrets inside instead of sharing them.
For Example: Do not bottle up your worries; talk to a trusted friend. / He tended to bottle up his excitement about the trip.
Other Ways to Say: Hide feelings / Suppress emotions
54. Keep quiet
Meaning: This idiom means staying silent to avoid giving away a secret.
For Example: Everyone had to keep quiet while hiding behind the sofa. / Please keep quiet about the prize winner.
Other Ways to Say: Stay silent / Hush
55. Not breathe a word
Meaning: This idiom means promising absolute silence so a secret remains hidden.
For Example: She promised not to breathe a word about the surprise party. / Make sure you do not breathe a word of this plan.
Other Ways to Say: Keep absolute secret / Tell nobody
56. Keep under the radar
Meaning: This idiom means staying hidden and avoiding attention while doing something secret.
For Example: We kept our clubhouse building project under the radar. / He tried to keep under the radar while finishing his art project.
Other Ways to Say: Stay unnoticed / Hide actions
57. Slip under the radar
Meaning: This idiom means avoiding detection while keeping something hidden.
For Example: His minor mistake managed to slip under the radar. / We kept our secret snack stash slipping under the radar.
Other Ways to Say: Go unnoticed / Hide successfully
58. Keep out of sight hideaway
Meaning: This idiom describes a private spot used for keeping things concealed.
For Example: Our treehouse acts as a perfect keep out of sight hideaway. / The box of toys was placed in a secret hideaway.
Other Ways to Say: Secret refuge / Hidden spot
59. Conceal
Meaning: This idiom or action word means hiding an object or fact from view.
For Example: He tried to conceal the broken toy behind his back. / She used her jacket to conceal the wrapped gift.
Other Ways to Say: Hide / Keep secret
60. Mask
Meaning: This idiom means hiding your true feelings or a secret behind a false appearance.
For Example: He wore a smile to mask his nervousness before the test. / She used humor to mask her secret shyness.
Other Ways to Say: Hide behind facade / Conceal truth
Exercise to Practice
- Do not try to sweep your messy bedroom floor toys ________.
- Every family has a funny little ________ they do not talk about.
- During the board game, she played smart and kept her ________.
- The birthday party details were kept totally ________ until Saturday.
- I had to ________ so I would not spoil the surprise party.
- When he told me his secret plan, I smiled and said ________.
- You look so quiet today, has ________?
- You cannot ________ because I know you ate the last cookie.
- The club members held a meeting ________ to plan the surprise.
- We kept our clubhouse building project ________ from the bigger kids.
- He cleaned up the spilled juice quickly to ________.
- After eating the snacks, we made sure to ________ of crumbs behind.
- We kept Mom ________ about the surprise breakfast we were making.
- His complicated excuse about missing homework felt like ________.
- We won the contest, but we had to ________ until the assembly.
Answer Key
- under the rug
- skeleton in the closet
- cards close to your chest
- hush-hush
- bite your tongue
- my lips are sealed
- the cat got your tongue
- pull the wool over my eyes
- behind closed doors
- on the down low
- cover your tracks
- leave no trace
- in the dark
- smoke and mirrors
- keep a lid on it
Conclusion
Learning idioms for hiding something makes talking about secrets and mysteries more fun and engaging. These expressions help you share hidden stories and surprises in a creative way. Try using them in conversations or stories to make your language more expressive and interesting.
