true colors

NOUN

one's real self

Synonyms

WEAK

cards on the table heart on one's sleeve personality truth

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.

But just as Rubio revealed his true colors on his first stop after Munich, AOC made what could turn out to be her most enduring impression after the conference as well.

From Slate • Feb. 17, 2026

Autochrome was the first technology that could capture the true colors of a subject.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 21, 2025

Instead, the textures were perceived to be the true colors of the object's surface.

From Science Daily • Mar. 18, 2024

Lovable losers showed true colors in surrendering 11 combined goals in losses to New Jersey and Columbus.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 18, 2022

Had Valley shown her true colors and ditched them right when things got dangerous?

From "Witchlings" by Claribel A. Ortega