white lie

noun

: a lie about a small or unimportant matter that someone tells to avoid hurting another person

He told a (little) white lie as his excuse for missing the party.

Examples of white lie in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Taking a page out of The Scarlet Letter, the story follows Olive as her personal life derails thanks to one little white lie about losing her virginity. —Shania Russell, EW.com, 10 Mar. 2024

So my plan on the way out was just to tell a little white lie and also spill a little tea. —Dalton Ross, EW.com, 6 Oct. 2023

Turns out, in nine-time Oscar nominee Cooper’s case, that little white lie seems to have paid off. —Dan Heching, CNN, 30 June 2023

In the end, Love Again hinges on a deception of vintage rom-com proportions, less little white lie than giant red flag. —A.a. Dowd, Chron, 5 May 2023

This may be a little white lie; however, it’s made to appease your boss and HR, and help keep the peace. —Jack Kelly, Forbes, 19 Apr. 2023