big lie

variants: or Big Lie

Definition of big lie

: a deliberate gross distortion of the truth used especially as a propaganda tactic

Examples of big lie in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web But the biggest lie that CAA supporters peddle is that the law won't leave these groups any worse off. — Shikha Dalmia, TheWeek, "How Modi supporters are trying to cloak an anti-Muslim bill in American law," 7 Feb. 2020 This election has been marinated in mendacity: big lies and small lies; quarter truths and pseudo-facts; distortion, dissembling and disinformation; and digital skulduggery on an industrial scale. — The Economist, "Bagehot Truth has been the first casualty of Britain’s election," 5 Dec. 2019 Liberals defended a commitment to truth and reason in the face of the big lie, and to incrementalism in the face of visionary madness. — The Economist, "Open Future Is liberalism really kaput?," 4 Dec. 2019 Which is to say, the music and script still fuse marvelously in the account of the big lie in which introverted Evan Hansen envelops himself and the vulnerable people around him. — Peter Marks, Washington Post, "Welcome home, ‘Dear Evan Hansen.’ You’re back where you belong.," 8 Aug. 2019 Five very different women, one very big lie: That’s the premise of Big Little Lies, HBO’s lush drama, back for its second season. — Morgan Baila, refinery29.com, "Big Little Lies," 10 June 2019 Tom’s useless nib of conscience, his wavering fealty to the big lie, and his undisciplined cowardice ruin the act. — Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, "The Succession Kids Finally Master the Art of BS," 7 Oct. 2019 Men like these had told far bigger lies for far bigger and scarier clients to far more destructive ends. — Maureen Tkacik, The New Republic, "Everybody thinks his business is different,," 18 Sep. 2019 That, too, is about nothing less than who your child is at a biological level, and withholding that information is also a big lie to tell a child. — Carolyn Hax, al, "Carolyn Hax: “Do we really need to let the firstborn know they were conceived in vitro?”," 17 July 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'big lie.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

19 Feb 2020

Cite this Entry

“Big lie.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/big%20lie. Accessed 28 Feb. 2020.

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