beggar belief
idiom
chiefly British
: to be unbelievable or not deserving to be believed : to defy belief
It almost beggars belief that anyone can be so cruel.
Examples of beggar belief in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
There are four people who know the truth of the story, two of them are dead, and two have remained consistent with their story, which does have a lot of holes in it and at certain points does beggar belief.
—
Lexi Carson, HollywoodReporter, 19 Aug. 2025
Freddy strays a little too close to the stereotype of a mystic savant; Michelle makes some rash and drastic decisions that beggar belief.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 28 June 2025
The stalker-serial killer story lines beggar belief, too, and other recurring characters seem to be here just so they can be kidnapped.
—Maren Longbella, Boston Herald, 30 May 2025
His war stories are a torrent of near-death experiences that beggar belief: shooting his way out of ambushes, evading Burma Army forces closing in on three sides, or coming face-to-face with an ISIS fighter in a trench — the tales often close with the punchline We almost got smoked.
—Jason Motlagh, Rolling Stone, 16 Apr. 2023
Some of the points raised against this proposal are so dishonest as to beggar belief.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2021
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Lexi Carson, HollywoodReporter, 19 Aug. 2025
Freddy strays a little too close to the stereotype of a mystic savant; Michelle makes some rash and drastic decisions that beggar belief.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 28 June 2025
The stalker-serial killer story lines beggar belief, too, and other recurring characters seem to be here just so they can be kidnapped.
—Maren Longbella, Boston Herald, 30 May 2025
His war stories are a torrent of near-death experiences that beggar belief: shooting his way out of ambushes, evading Burma Army forces closing in on three sides, or coming face-to-face with an ISIS fighter in a trench — the tales often close with the punchline We almost got smoked.
—Jason Motlagh, Rolling Stone, 16 Apr. 2023
Some of the points raised against this proposal are so dishonest as to beggar belief.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2021
Cite this Entry
“Beggar belief.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/beggar%20belief. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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