# blow the whistle

> English word · Verb

## Definitions
1. 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.
2. To make a piercing sound which signals a referee's action or the end of a game.

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

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-09-03.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/blow-the-whistle