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
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.
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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
In time, history has exposed the lies behind those charges.
—Avi Weiss, New York Daily News, 10 Aug. 2025
Again, there are plenty of reasons that might lie behind this.
—Daisy Jones, Vogue, 15 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for lie behind
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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
In time, history has exposed the lies behind those charges.
—Avi Weiss, New York Daily News, 10 Aug. 2025
Again, there are plenty of reasons that might lie behind this.
—Daisy Jones, Vogue, 15 July 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 10 Sep. 2025.
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