Skeleton in the closet or skeleton in the cupboard is a colloquial phrase and idiom used to describe an undisclosed fact about someone which, if revealed, would damage perceptions of the person; It evokes the idea of someone having had a human corpse concealed in their home so long that all its flesh had decomposed to ...

What does it mean when you have a skeletons in your closet?

Definition of skeletons in the/someone's closet

: something bad or embarrassing that happened in someone's past and that is kept secret He asked if she had any skeletons in her closet that might affect her political campaign.

What to do when there's a skeleton in your closet?