calling a spade a spade

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“When you’re dealing with so much power, not speaking, not calling a spade a spade, makes you weaker, makes us more vulnerable.”

From Washington Post • Mar. 2, 2021

I don’t think it’s fair to penalize anyone for calling a spade a spade, as inelegant as their calls may be, but I do think it’s fair to speak up.

From Slate • Jun. 10, 2019

But if the end result is the same -- well, I'm perfectly willing to calling a spade a spade.

From Scientific American • Mar. 17, 2018

That may feel right and there’s nothing wrong with calling a spade a spade.

From Salon • Nov. 27, 2016

For instance, his paper was read, for the most part, by people who took a delight in his calling a spade a spade, and, in fact, in his seeking out spades to write about.

From Brann the Iconoclast — Volume 12 by Brann, William Cowper