lie to

verb

lay to; lain to; lying to; lies to

intransitive verb

of a ship

: to stay stationary with head to windward

Examples of lie to in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Patrick Daley Thompson for lying to bank regulators, the high court unanimously ruled that the law doesn't criminalize statements that are misleading but not false. — Hannah Meisel, CBS News, 20 Aug. 2026

Cohen was sentenced to three years in prison in 2018 after pleading guilty to campaign finance charges and lying to Congress, among other crimes. — ABC News, 20 Aug. 2026

The agent, Christian Castro, is charged with shooting a Minneapolis man and lying to the FBI. — Mateo Rosiles, USA Today, 18 Aug. 2026

Much is at stake, and some people will do anything to win — including lying to voters at the polls. — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 17 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1711, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for lie to

• accrue
• ado
• ainu
• aircrew
• airscrew
• anew
• askew
• baboo
• babu
• bamboo
• beaucoup
• bijou

Video

Lay vs. Lie

Editor Emily Brewster clarifies the difference.