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in the cold light of day

Definition

If you think about something in the cold light of day, you think about it clearly and calmly, without the emotions you had at the time it happened, and you often feel sorry or ashamed about it: The next morning, in the cold light of day, Sarah realized what a complete idiot she had been.Thinking and contemplating
(Definition of in the cold light of day from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

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