came clean
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Puzzle #193 · December 11, 2025
To ‘come clean’ is an American idiom from the late 19th/early 20th century meaning to confess or tell the truth, metaphorically ‘cleaning’ oneself of guilt.
Its earliest print appearance might be 1904 when the Moberly Evening Democrat urged other newspapers ... “Now, then Chillicothe papers – Constitution, Democrat, Tribune – come clean. Tell the truth.”
Perhaps coincidentally, ‘bathroom break’ is also about coming clean.
Its earliest print appearance might be 1904 when the Moberly Evening Democrat urged other newspapers ... “Now, then Chillicothe papers – Constitution, Democrat, Tribune – come clean. Tell the truth.”
Perhaps coincidentally, ‘bathroom break’ is also about coming clean.
Puzzle Appearances
The expression came clean has appeared in 1 puzzle:
- Puzzle #193 on December 11, 2025
Rate of Appearance in English Language Print
Google's Ngram project shows how often a pair of words has appeared in print every year since the 1800's.
Data from Google Books Ngram Viewer. Licensed under CC BY 3.0.
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