as in dishonest
telling or containing lies
that lying son of a gun told me that the used car had never been in an accident
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in deception
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
as in deceiving
to make a statement one knows to be untrue
would I lie to you about that?
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
2
as in sitting
to occupy a place or location
I left the book lying on the counter
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in hiding
to remain out of sight
paparazzi were lying in wait outside the restaurant, a well-known celebrity hangout
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of lying
Kenan Draughorne, Los Angeles Times, 14 Jan. 2022
Jodi Guglielmi, Rolling Stone, 19 Mar. 2026
Aristotle said that lying is an unjust act.
—Katherine Moses, The Conversation, 13 Mar. 2026
To understand whether coffin-lying can actually boost calmness and relieve stress, Outside spoke to two therapists.
—Julia Ries Wexler, Outside, 12 Mar. 2026
The woman in this case gave a victim impact statement Thursday, saying that Donaldson has patterns of manipulation, violence and lying.
—Maya Wilkins, Chicago Tribune, 5 Mar. 2026
The roles of bluffing and secrecy in our interactions with others (or, how lying can help—and hurt—us).
—Literary Hub, 2 Mar. 2026
OpenAI has also shared examples of its models cheating and lying and, in an experiment showcased on the second floor of its San Francisco headquarters, appearing to converse in a totally indecipherable language.
—Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 4 Feb. 2026
Crawford said the lying in wait allegations could not be proved because his client was just standing by a gate when the attack happened.
—City News Service, Oc Register, 25 Jan. 2026
The selfish tyrant attaches himself only to those others who share his selfishness, who are eager to wear the mask of perpetual lying.
—David Brooks, Mercury News, 24 Jan. 2026
Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 Mar. 2026
At an elevation of 4,500 feet and higher, the area is cool enough to sustain a grassland too temperamental to survive in the lower lying desert valleys.
—Shi En Kim, AZCentral.com, 26 Mar. 2026
As his son was lying partially paralyzed in a hospital bed, Ozog got a call from a colleague who had an unconventional suggestion.
—Lynne Peeples, Scientific American, 26 Mar. 2026
In October, 2003, Minnelli escaped her handlers and beelined to a bar; she was found some time later lying face-down on Lexington Avenue.
—Matt Weinstock, New Yorker, 25 Mar. 2026
Latto has been lying low for the past few months, but Big Mama is back on the scene.
—Kyle Denis, Billboard, 20 Mar. 2026
The man is later seen lying motionless on the street as bystanders and police attempt to wake him.
—Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 19 Mar. 2026
Afroman celebrated his legal victory in a video on Wednesday after winning a defamation lawsuit filed by several Ohio sheriff's deputies who accused the rapper of mocking and allegedly lying about them in music videos, following a 2022 raid on his home.
—Angeline Jane Bernabe, ABC News, 19 Mar. 2026
The judge’s order cleared by the Supreme Court prohibits school employees from ‘misleading’ or ‘lying’ to parents.
—Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2026
Adjective
He was found dead lying face up on his hotel bed with no signs of trauma, according to a Monday report from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office in Florida.
—Kenan Draughorne, Los Angeles Times, 14 Jan. 2022
Noun
Paul frequently accuses Mortenson of cheating and lying, which he’s openly admitted to — after he gets caught.
—Jodi Guglielmi, Rolling Stone, 19 Mar. 2026
Aristotle said that lying is an unjust act.
—Katherine Moses, The Conversation, 13 Mar. 2026
To understand whether coffin-lying can actually boost calmness and relieve stress, Outside spoke to two therapists.
—Julia Ries Wexler, Outside, 12 Mar. 2026
The woman in this case gave a victim impact statement Thursday, saying that Donaldson has patterns of manipulation, violence and lying.
—Maya Wilkins, Chicago Tribune, 5 Mar. 2026
The roles of bluffing and secrecy in our interactions with others (or, how lying can help—and hurt—us).
—Literary Hub, 2 Mar. 2026
OpenAI has also shared examples of its models cheating and lying and, in an experiment showcased on the second floor of its San Francisco headquarters, appearing to converse in a totally indecipherable language.
—Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 4 Feb. 2026
Crawford said the lying in wait allegations could not be proved because his client was just standing by a gate when the attack happened.
—City News Service, Oc Register, 25 Jan. 2026
The selfish tyrant attaches himself only to those others who share his selfishness, who are eager to wear the mask of perpetual lying.
—David Brooks, Mercury News, 24 Jan. 2026
Verb
Wednesday’s indictment is the second attempt to charge King with lying under oath in this circumstance.
—Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 Mar. 2026
At an elevation of 4,500 feet and higher, the area is cool enough to sustain a grassland too temperamental to survive in the lower lying desert valleys.
—Shi En Kim, AZCentral.com, 26 Mar. 2026
As his son was lying partially paralyzed in a hospital bed, Ozog got a call from a colleague who had an unconventional suggestion.
—Lynne Peeples, Scientific American, 26 Mar. 2026
In October, 2003, Minnelli escaped her handlers and beelined to a bar; she was found some time later lying face-down on Lexington Avenue.
—Matt Weinstock, New Yorker, 25 Mar. 2026
Latto has been lying low for the past few months, but Big Mama is back on the scene.
—Kyle Denis, Billboard, 20 Mar. 2026
The man is later seen lying motionless on the street as bystanders and police attempt to wake him.
—Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 19 Mar. 2026
Afroman celebrated his legal victory in a video on Wednesday after winning a defamation lawsuit filed by several Ohio sheriff's deputies who accused the rapper of mocking and allegedly lying about them in music videos, following a 2022 raid on his home.
—Angeline Jane Bernabe, ABC News, 19 Mar. 2026
The judge’s order cleared by the Supreme Court prohibits school employees from ‘misleading’ or ‘lying’ to parents.
—Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lying
Adjective
-
Asked about those allegations, Grossi said his role is to provide technical expertise, not to weigh in on whether Iran was honest or dishonest.—
Joe Walsh,
CBS News,
20 Mar. 2026
-
This is dishonest and partisan.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
13 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
In 2024, North Korea claimed to have successfully testlaunched a multiwarhead missile, but South Korea quickly dismissed it as deception to cover up a failed launch.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
30 Mar. 2026
-
These include debt bondage, restriction of movement, withholding of wages, excessive overtime, physical violence, surveillance, deception, isolation, abuse of vulnerability and abusive conditions.—
Efrat Lachter,
FOXNews.com,
29 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Winds high above Saturn were generating electrical currents, creating a misleading auroral signal that mimicked changes in rotation.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Parts of the ballot language backing a tax on second homes in San Diego are misleading and must be amended, a judge ruled Thursday.—
Roxana Popescu,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
This week, in testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Attorney General Pam Bondi gave a master class in obfuscation, prevarication, and pettiness.—
John Ficarra,
Air Mail,
11 Oct. 2025
-
There was no picture, there was no drawing, there has been so many lies, so much prevarication, so much cover up.—
John Parkinson,
ABC News,
10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
But those who in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries made erroneous predictions of imminent mass starvation erred by underestimating the world‑changing potential of grasses.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Complaints vary from inquiries sent through the website going unanswered and erroneous card charges to broken or ineffective merchandise.—
Dina Kaur,
AZCentral.com,
24 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
There is no rampant cheating or election fraud in California.—
Mark Z. Barabak,
Mercury News,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Research shows that artificial intelligence tools can support learning, but also has raised concerns, including students’ overreliance, cheating, and the potential degradation of critical thinking and engagement.—
Jeanne Beatrix Law,
The Conversation,
26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The 2026 State of the Union speech stands in contrast, a speech by a mendacious demagogue who has degraded his listeners by debauching their instincts.—
Eliot A. Cohen,
The Atlantic,
26 Feb. 2026
-
Supporters of recent state AI regulations said the measures will address potential threats to public safety and personal privacy, and to counter any mendacious actions created by AI, while not hindering innovation.—
Hope Moses,
Chicago Tribune,
10 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Her cross-examination — with its rapid-fire accusations, caustic tone and presumption of dishonesty — had felt eerily familiar after years of verbal abuse.—
Pamela Colloff,
ProPublica,
24 Mar. 2026
-
There’s no dishonesty in anything that [Quentin] writes or how people talk, feel or speak [in his movies].—
Lauryn Overhultz,
FOXNews.com,
10 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Lying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lying. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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