This phrase often implies owning up with honesty and sincerity, typically when under pressure or guilt. After the interrogation, she decided to make a clean breast of everything.
Pro Tip 2/3
Emotional Relief
People use this phrase to express the emotional relief felt after admitting something difficult. Once I made a clean breast of my mistakes, I felt a weight lift off my shoulders.
Pro Tip 3/3
Serious Contexts
The phrase is mostly used in serious or solemn contexts, not for trivial admissions. In the face of the consequences, he made a clean breast of his actions.