half-truth

noun

1
: a statement that is only partially true
2
: a statement that mingles truth and falsehood with deliberate intent to deceive

Examples of half-truth in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
As usual, the fake posts are often mixed with half-truths. John Brandon, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2025 However, according to a brutal takedown by The Observer, The Salt Path is actually a hive of untruths, half-truths, and embellishments designed to obscure a far darker reality. Stuart Heritage, Air Mail, 19 July 2025 Advertisement Dunham, who wrote and directed the episode, also seeds their interactions with the distractions, evasions, and half-truths of two people with baggage who aren’t yet comfortable baring their whole souls. Judy Berman, Time, 10 July 2025 Gutter guard companies and salesmen may be spewing half-truths to you. Tim Carter, Hartford Courant, 14 June 2025 Science and reason get stepped on by half-truths and conspiracy theories. New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 11 June 2025 We are constantly bombarded with half-truths and content designed to divide. Kendra MacDonald, Forbes.com, 10 June 2025 Tribune reporter Ronald Yates then revealed in 1976 that two witnesses were forced to tell half-truths and withhold vital information during Toguri’s trial. Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 28 May 2025 Surveys get half-truths, interviews get sugarcoated and focus groups get filtered. Jim Longo, Forbes.com, 23 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1628, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of half-truth was in 1628

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Cite this Entry

“Half-truth.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/half-truth. Accessed 3 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

half-truth

noun
-ˌtrüth
: a statement that is only partly true
especially : one that deliberately mixes truth and falsehood

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