beat around the bush

Register · Informal Informal — used in casual, everyday conversation among friends and family. Avoid in formal writing or professional settings. CEFR B2

Post

Example

“Stop beating around the bush and tell me what happened.”

Dictionary details

Tags

Expressions connected by reviewed component words or topic tags.

call a spade a spade Informal · CEFR B2

to speak plainly and directly, even bluntly

cut to the chase Informal · CEFR B2

To get to the important point without wasting time.

the elephant in the room Neutral · CEFR B2

an obvious and important problem that everyone notices but avoids discussing

bad news Informal · CEFR A2

an unpleasant piece of information; (informal) a person or thing likely to cause trouble

so far so good Informal · CEFR A2

used to say that things have gone well up to now

break the ice Neutral · CEFR B1

To do or say something that eases tension and gets people talking comfortably in an unfamiliar social situation.

Source methodology

Meanings, register, CEFR, and examples come from the reviewed dictionary record. Expression notes may describe a reviewed present-day word picture or a background note; they are not presented as verified etymology.

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