Example
“If the monitor keeps crying wolf over harmless activity, staff will stop checking its alerts.”
Dictionary details
Tags
Related idioms
Expressions connected by reviewed component words or topic tags.
keep the wolf from the door
CEFR B2to earn or manage just enough to avoid poverty, hunger, or serious hardship
name names
CEFR B1to identify specific people, especially those linked to wrongdoing or secrecy
take someone's word for it
CEFR B1to believe what someone says without asking for evidence
tell it like it is
CEFR B1to describe a situation frankly, without softening or hiding the truth
the whole story
CEFR B1all the facts about a situation, including ones not yet known
break cover
CEFR B2to stop concealing one's true position or intentions and make them known
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.