skeleton in the closet

1. A potentially embarrassing secret: “Before nominating the new judge, the committee asked him if he had any skeletons in the closet.”

Idioms and Phrases

A shameful secret, as in Both her parents were alcoholics; that was the skeleton in her closet . This metaphoric term alludes to a murder victim long concealed in a closet, possibly based on some true incident that is now forgotten. [Early 1800s]

Example Sentences

Financial skeletons in the closet are not inherently disqualifying for a candidate for public office, said Jessica Levinson, a professor at Loyola Law School and the former head of the city of L.A.’s ethics commission.

From Los Angeles Times

The least suggestion of marital infidelity, or any other skeleton in the closet, will be picked apart.

From BBC

As much as he tried to find that one skeleton in the closet to explain it all, he couldn’t.

From Los Angeles Times

“You shouldn’t have any skeletons in the closet.”

From New York Times

It's left to other contributors to raise Britain's history around the slave trade, as well as the "skeletons in the closet" in the Royal Family.

From BBC