tú​qióng​bǐ​xiàn

the plot is revealed

Senses

图穷匕见/ 圖窮匕見 tú​qióng​bǐ​xiàn the plot is revealed

Literally "when the map is unrolled, the dagger is revealed"; a scheme is finally exposed or someone's malicious intent becomes apparent. This idiom refers to the attempted assassination of the first Qin emperor by 荆轲 jīng​kē, who hid a knife inside a map scroll.

References

variant 图穷匕见/圖窮匕見 图穷匕现/圖窮匕現
variant 图穷匕见/圖窮匕見 图穷匕首见/圖窮匕首見
same_as 图穷匕首见/圖窮匕首見 图穷匕见/圖窮匕見
see 图穷匕现/圖窮匕現 图穷匕见/圖窮匕見