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
The Chicago Police Department estimates that arguments lie behind seventy to eighty per cent of homicides.
—
Malcolm Gladwell, New Yorker, 2 June 2025
The important breakthroughs, though, lie behind the numbers.
—Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 12 June 2025
The Great Filter may lie behind us, meaning life on Earth already beat the odds in overcoming some catastrophe, allowing our civilization to develop.
—Rebecca Charbonneau, Scientific American, 6 Feb. 2025
The sum of human suffering, climate change, and other existential threats may lie behind the reasoning of proponents of this school of thought.
—Chloe Mayer, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for lie behind
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Malcolm Gladwell, New Yorker, 2 June 2025
The important breakthroughs, though, lie behind the numbers.
—Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 12 June 2025
The Great Filter may lie behind us, meaning life on Earth already beat the odds in overcoming some catastrophe, allowing our civilization to develop.
—Rebecca Charbonneau, Scientific American, 6 Feb. 2025
The sum of human suffering, climate change, and other existential threats may lie behind the reasoning of proponents of this school of thought.
—Chloe Mayer, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for lie behind
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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 22 Jul. 2025.
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