lie behind
phrasal 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
Still, the elephant in the room remains the People’s Party’s attitude toward Thailand’s sacrosanct monarchy, since reform of Article 112 lay behind Move Forward’s dissolution.
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Charlie Campbell, Time, 15 Sep. 2025
The notable pedigree also lies behind the camera.
—Anna Marie De La Fuente, Variety, 7 Sep. 2025
Everyone has a slightly different definition of dark academia, but Possession left me with a strong attachment to stories where making sense of writing from the past, and uncovering what lies behind it, are central to the story.
—Literary Hub, 19 Aug. 2025
The evidence of this event could appear in radiation coming from bright sources lying behind the clusters.
—Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 16 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lie behind
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Charlie Campbell, Time, 15 Sep. 2025
The notable pedigree also lies behind the camera.
—Anna Marie De La Fuente, Variety, 7 Sep. 2025
Everyone has a slightly different definition of dark academia, but Possession left me with a strong attachment to stories where making sense of writing from the past, and uncovering what lies behind it, are central to the story.
—Literary Hub, 19 Aug. 2025
The evidence of this event could appear in radiation coming from bright sources lying behind the clusters.
—Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 16 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lie behind
Video
Lay vs. Lie
Editor Emily Brewster clarifies the difference.
Cite this Entry
“Lie behind.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lie%20behind. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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