Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

blow the whistle

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.80 in modern English

Syllables
blow the whis-tle
IPA
28
Scrabble Score
14
Letters
2
Syllables
9
Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To disclose information to the public or to appropriate authorities concerning the illegal or socially harmful actions of a person or group, especially a corporation or government agency.

verb

To make a piercing sound which signals a referee's action or the end of a game.

Example Sentences

Etymology

When used idiomatically, probably an allusion to a police officer blowing his or her whistle on observing a violation of the law.

Inflected Forms

blows the whistle (present, singular) blowing the whistle (participle, present) blew the whistle (past) blown the whistle (participle, past)

Phrases

whistle-blower speak truth to power

Frequently Paired Words

whistle-blower speak truth to power

Synonyms

tattle tell on

Questions

What does blow the whistle mean?
To disclose information to the public or to appropriate authorities concerning the illegal or socially harmful actions of a person or group, especially a corporation or government agency.
Where does blow the whistle come from?
When used idiomatically, probably an allusion to a police officer blowing his or her whistle on observing a violation of the law.

How to pronounce blow the whistle

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “blow the whistle”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “blow the whistle”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “blow the whistle” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.