leaking

leaking — verb

1. When a substance such as water, oil, or natural gas leaks, it escapes from a pip

1.verbtransitive / intransitiveB1
Definition

When a substance such as water, oil, or natural gas leaks, it escapes from a pipe, tank, or other container through an unwanted opening like a crack or a hole. A container that is leaking has a flaw that allows a fluid or gas to get out.

Example

Walid noticed water leaking from the old pipe under the kitchen sink.

leaking from [source] — the usual preposition for where the leak starts

The roof of Imani's apartment began leaking after three days of heavy rain.

Common collocations
  • leak from a pipe / a tank / a roof
  • leak into the ground / the basement / the river
  • leak through a crack / a hole / a seal
  • a leaking pipe / faucet / roof / radiator
  • gas leak / water leak / oil leak (noun compounds)
Synonyms
  • seep

    Describes slow, gradual movement through small openings; does not apply to the container itself ('the oil seeped through the floor', but not 'the tank is seeping')

  • drip

    Describes liquid falling drop by drop, while leak can also describe a steady flow

  • escape

    More formal and general; used when gas or liquid finds a way out, but less common for everyday plumbing problems

Antonyms
  • seal

    To close an opening so that nothing can enter or escape

Grammar Patterns

something + leaks + from/through/into + something

something + leaks + liquid/gas

something + is/was leaking

Usage Note

Frequently used in continuous tenses ('the pipe is leaking') to describe an ongoing problem. The present participle also commonly functions as an adjective: 'a leaking roof', 'a leaking faucet'. The past form 'leaked' is used for completed events: 'The tank leaked oil for several hours.'

Common Mistakes

I leaked the water from the bucket.
I poured the water from the bucket.
Leak describes accidental or unwanted escape, not deliberate pouring.

2. To make secret or private information known to the public or to people who are n

2.verbtransitive / intransitiveB2
Definition

To make secret or private information known to the public or to people who are not officially supposed to have it, especially by sharing documents, emails, or other materials. The information itself can also be described as leaking when it becomes public despite efforts to keep it hidden.

Example

Someone leaked the confidential budget report to a local newspaper.

leaked [something] to [recipient] — core transitive pattern

Details of the merger talks were leaked to the press before the official announcement.

passive: were leaked to [recipient]

Common collocations
  • leak information / documents / secrets / data
  • leak to the press / the media / a journalist / a competitor
  • leak confidential / classified / sensitive material
  • details / news / documents + leak out
  • a notorious / major / security leak (noun)
Synonyms
  • disclose

    More formal and neutral; often used when information is officially made known, not necessarily secretly ('the company disclosed its earnings')

  • reveal

    Can be intentional or accidental, and covers many types of information beyond secrets; less specific about the method of sharing

  • divulge

    Suggests telling something private, but usually to a specific person rather than to the general public

Antonyms
  • conceal

    To keep something hidden or secret intentionally

  • suppress

    To prevent information from being published or made known through official action

Grammar Patterns

someone + leaks + something + to + someone

something + is/was leaked + (to + someone)

something + leaks + to + someone

Usage Note

Commonly used in passive voice ('the documents were leaked to the press') because the focus is often on the information rather than the anonymous source. The person who leaks information is sometimes called a whistleblower if their motive is public interest, or simply a leaker if the source is unknown.

Common Mistakes

The journalist leaked the information.
Someone leaked the information to the journalist.
The person who leaks is the source inside the organization, not the journalist who reports the story.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/2

Leak, disclose, reveal, divulge, and expose all involve making information known, but they differ in how and why the information becomes public. Leak specifically implies that secret or restricted material was shared without official permission, often by an anonymous source within an organization — for example, an employee leaking internal documents to a journalist. Disclose is more formal and neutral, used when someone officially makes facts known, as in 'The company disclosed its quarterly earnings.' Reveal can be dramatic or gradual and covers both intentional and accidental sharing, such as 'The investigation revealed new evidence against the suspect.' Divulge is closer to leak in suggesting confidentiality, but it focuses on the act of telling a specific person rather than broadcasting to the public — for instance, 'He refused to divulge the location of the meeting.' Expose carries a stronger moral charge, implying that the information reveals wrongdoing or scandal, as in 'Journalists exposed the corruption scheme.' A practical distinction: if the information was passed from inside an organization to outsiders without permission, use leak; if the sharing is official or formal, use disclose or reveal; if it involves uncovering wrongdoing, use expose.

disclose ↗reveal ↗divulge ↗expose ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

Prepositions

Etymology

Old NorseMiddle EnglishEnglish

The verb 'leak' comes from Middle English 'leken', which was borrowed from Old Norse 'leka' meaning 'to drip' or 'to leak'. It is related to Dutch 'lekken' and German 'lecken' (to leak). The figurative sense of secret information becoming known dates back to the early 1900s, originally used in politics and espionage contexts. The expression 'leak like a sieve' (meaning something has many holes or fails to keep secrets) has been in use since at least the 1940s.