lie behind

verb

lay behind; lain behind; lying behind; lies behind

: to be the cause of (something)

Greed lies behind the higher prices.

Examples of lie behind in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The reveal has also become part of the fun, giving Mathis an excuse to surprise guests with what lies behind an otherwise ordinary bedroom mirror. — Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 29 Aug. 2026

As a live-in housemaid for one of the town’s two Jewish families, Lautenschläger saw the lies behind Nazi propaganda. — Fern Schumer Chapman, Chicago Tribune, 5 Aug. 2026

As in seasons past, episodes will explore the motives potentially lying behind the accused’s madness. — Savannah Walsh, Vanity Fair, 4 Aug. 2026

Journalists will keep working to hold all leaders accountable, and expose the lies behind the slick campaigns. — Orlando Sentinel, The Orlando Sentinel, 17 July 2026

Rhymes for lie behind

• countersigned
• disinclined
• humankind
• interlined
• intertwined
• mastermind
• misaligned
• nonaligned
• predefined
• realigned
• reassigned
• recombined

Video

Lay vs. Lie

Editor Emily Brewster clarifies the difference.