in the closet

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ɪn ðə ˈklɑzɪt/, /ɪn ðə ˈklɔzɪt/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ɪn ðə ˈklɒzɪt/

• Audio (US):

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• Audio (General American):

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in the closet

1. (colloquial) Not open about one's sexual orientation, romantic orientation, or gender identity.
   • 2023 October 6, Ryan Gilbey, “The double life of Rock Hudson: ‘Let’s be frank, he was a horndog!’”, in The Guardian‎^[1], →ISSN:

     Was he in control of that narrative? Most likely not. If he’d had the choice, he would have stayed in the closet.

2. (colloquial, by extension) Not open about some feature of one's life; often construed with about.

   She's in the closet about her gambling addiction.

   She's in the gambling-addiction closet.

• closeted

• out of the closet, out (adjective)

• closet
• closeted
• closet case
• come out of the closet, come out

• pass (“to be accepted by others as a member of a group one would not usually be regarded as belonging to”)

• insect hotel