hold a mirror to

Definitions

1. To reflect; to represent and by resemblance provide insight into.
2. To elucidate; to make explicit some aspect of.
3. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see hold, mirror.

Examples

“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.”

“If these children have⟳ been their parents' gifts and teachers, then these stories shared by struggling but resilient parents is a gift to all of us. They hold⟳ a mirror to our own⟳ perceptions and to the influence⟳—good and bad—that we can have⟳ on those we are trying to help⟳.”

“Bradley points towards this modern renaissance in history because he sees that history does not hold⟳ a mirror to the past, but embraces it through the critical understanding of the historian.”

“They must be natural as theatre is meant to hold⟳ a mirror to reality and represent⟳ it.”

“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.”

“In defining its media role, according to Hugh Greene, director-general of the BBC, the channel should continue⟳ to strive “to hold⟳ a mirror to what was going on in contemporary British society.””

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

CEFR level