hold a mirror to

Definitions

1. 1

   To reflect

   To reflect; to represent and by resemblance provide insight into.

   • Or, as Dr. Gregory Stevenson suggests, do the supernatural trials and tribulations of the Winchesters appeal because they merely hold a mirror to the more mundane terrors we all face every day?
   • Such representations, which hold a mirror to the oppressed person's reality, arise from problem posing and dialogues that allow the meek to grasp the dimensions of their oppression.
2. 2

   To elucidate

   To elucidate; to make explicit some aspect of.

   • To speak "truth to power" should not be considered negative: to hold a mirror to society, even a mirror that embodies the biases and anguish of its creator, is not a negative act.
   • My daughter Valerie, who has a unique ability to hold a mirror to my behavior, helped me see reality.
   • All a facilitator can do is hold a mirror to the group.
3. 3

   Used other than figuratively or idiomatically

   Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see hold, mirror.

   • Hold a mirror to the pet's nose. If no condensation appears, the animal is probably dead.

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