level with you

Meaning

To speak honestly, directly, and openly with someone, often revealing a truth that might be difficult or surprising. It is a casual, sincere expression used when dropping pretenses or formal barriers to establish deep trust.

Examples

• Look, I'm going to level with you: your current plan is not going to work.

  Look, I'm going to level with you: your current plan is not going to work.

• Let me level with you, I don't think we have the budget for this trip.

  Let me level with you, I don't think we have the budget for this trip.

• He decided to level with his manager about why he wanted to leave the company.

  He decided to level with his manager about why he wanted to leave the company.

• I'll level with you; the interview didn't go as well as I had hoped.

  I'll level with you; the interview didn't go as well as I had hoped.

• If you level with me now, I promise I won't get angry about what happened.

  If you level with me now, I promise I won't get angry about what happened.

Common Mistakes

• ✗ I want to level you.

  ✓ I want to level with you.

  Without the preposition 'with', 'to level someone' means to knock them down or destroy them, which completely changes the meaning.

• ✗ Let me level to you.

  ✓ Let me level with you.

  The idiom strictly uses the preposition 'with' to denote speaking honestly alongside someone, not 'to'.

Related Expressions

Practice

• I need to ___: I don't think we can finish this project on time.

  💡 Speak completely honestly and directly.

  Show answer

  level with you

• If you don't ___ about your finances, I can't help you plan.

  💡 Be honest with me.

  Show answer

  level with me