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Example:

I wanted to [...] him—to let everything out.

What's a common word to use in this cases?

I'm looking for something similar to spit as in to spit something out. Like, when you say something harmful to someone because of anger.

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    Tell? Reassure? Assuage? Convince? Invert? Do a Heimlich Maneuver on? I'm afraid there is so little context here that this question is rendered into a guessing game, therefore Off Topic.
    – anongoodnurse
    Commented May 30, 2014 at 7:04
  • @medica How about now?
    – wyc
    Commented May 30, 2014 at 7:07
  • 4
    I'm sorry, it's not a matter of adding or rearranging a few random words, it's a matter of explaining what it is you're trying for. Use any words you think might be close. Look them up in a dictionary and see if you're close. Tell us why you're not getting it, after what you've looked up. In short: share your work. We really do want to help, but we don't want to guess.
    – anongoodnurse
    Commented May 30, 2014 at 7:10
  • possible duplicate of Antonym for lying?
    – David Richerby
    Commented May 30, 2014 at 10:44
  • I wanted to let the cat out of the bag, the pandora out of its box, the cheese cake out of its wrapping.
    – Blessed Geek
    Commented May 30, 2014 at 11:33

11 Answers 11

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If you want to express the idea of "telling the truth to someone", you can say something like

I wanted to be honest with him (and let him know that ...)

or you can also use phrases like level with, be frank with, be straightforward with...

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Out with it is a common expression when asking someone to reveal something.

Tell me what you know !! Come on , out with it!!

or just to reveal the truth

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Blurt:

to utter suddenly or inadvertently; divulge impulsively or unadvisedly (usually followed by out ): He blurted out the hiding place of the spy.

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  • Blurting is unplanned so doesn't fit in a sentence beginning "I wanted to..."
    – David Richerby
    Commented May 30, 2014 at 10:42
  • @David Richerby I wanted to blurt to him—to let everything out. Blurt is to not consider "to say (something) suddenly and without thinking about how people will react" -I believe you are confusing unplanned with unrestrained
    – Third News
    Commented May 30, 2014 at 10:49
  • And that expresses the directly contradictory idea "I planned to speak without planning to."
    – David Richerby
    Commented May 30, 2014 at 10:52
  • @David Richerby see edited comment above -
    – Third News
    Commented May 30, 2014 at 10:54
  • What does "I wanted to not think about how people would react" even mean? By expressing the desire, you've already given at least some consideration to how people would react.
    – David Richerby
    Commented May 30, 2014 at 11:04
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Perhaps you are looking for vent.

He vented his anger on her.

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Unburden

To unburden yourself to someone is to release the burden of pent-up emotion or secrets.

Unlike some other answers, there is no connotation of anger.

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You wanted to really let him have it

You wanted to tell him some home truths

You wanted to give him what for

You wanted to let fly

You wanted to give him a piece of your mind

You wanted to fly off the handle at him

You wanted to let rip at him

You wanted to tell him what's what

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I wanted to come clean to him—to let everything out.

As in reavealing something that was kept hidden as a secret, or out of shame, etc...

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How about confess?

I wanted to confess to him.

Confess does not need to be preceded by anything because it is defined as:

admit or state that one has committed a crime or is at fault in some way.

So it would be confessing the truth. You could also consider some of it's synonyms: Reveal, disclose, admit etc.

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Consider:

I wanted to offload onto him -- to let everything out.

Or

I wanted to get this off my chest to him -- to let everything out.

Or

I wanted to pour this out to him -- to let everything out.

Or

I wanted to give it to him straight -- to let everything out.

Or

I wanted to tell him like it is -- to let everything out.

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I wanted to come out with it. (if it is a secret)
I wanted to come clean. (if it is a secret)
I wanted to blurt it out. (if it is really bothering you and you want it out in the open, but this case implies there will be some negative consequences)
I wanted to level with him. (if he has a misunderstanding of what 'it' is)
I wanted to set the record straight (if he has a misunderstanding of what 'it' is)

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Possible: Assure, Force

I wanted to assure him to let everything out.

I wanted to force him to let everything out.

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  • I think you've misunderstood the question. As I read it, the sentence fragment in the question means "I wanted to ___ him and I wanted to let everything out", not "I wanted to ___ him so that he would let everything out." Also, you can't use "assure" like that: perhaps you meant "I wanted to ensure he would let everything out."
    – David Richerby
    Commented May 30, 2014 at 10:54

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