1
as in to misrepresent
to give a misleading impression of
his bright smile belied his actual mood, which was really one of great sadness
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to refute
to prove to be false
the latest information belies the old theory
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to conceal
to keep secret or shut off from view
the security council issued false assurances that belied the true gravity of the situation
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of belie
The sense of relief, however, belied a new reality.
—
Jonathan Lemire, The Atlantic, 23 Jan. 2026
But his football knowledge belies his age.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 23 Jan. 2026
But Avatar's box office dominance belies a concerning set of stats for anyone invested in the future of the franchise.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 18 Jan. 2026
Bam Adebayo said there is a maturity there that belies Jakucionis’ youth.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 17 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for belie
Jonathan Lemire, The Atlantic, 23 Jan. 2026
But his football knowledge belies his age.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 23 Jan. 2026
But Avatar's box office dominance belies a concerning set of stats for anyone invested in the future of the franchise.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 18 Jan. 2026
Bam Adebayo said there is a maturity there that belies Jakucionis’ youth.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 17 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for belie
Recent Examples of Synonyms for belie
Verb
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Too often, the contributions of African Americans have been minimized, misrepresented, or erased altogether.—
Okla Jones,
Essence,
1 Feb. 2026
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Borrower Defense is a discharge program for federal student loans that allows borrowers to request cancellation on the basis of certain forms of school misconduct, such as misrepresenting admissions selectivity or program costs, or lying about graduate earnings and career prospects.—
Adam S. Minsky,
Forbes.com,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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This is a political tactic of the most crude sort, making no effort to refute an argument but to instead impugn the motives of those making it, along with the assumption that people with white skin can always and forever have only suspect motives.—
Bradley Gitz,
Arkansas Online,
9 Feb. 2026
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Browsh refutes the idea the NFL chose Bad Bunny as a political stunt.—
Jake Angelo,
Fortune,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The Iranian economy is a grand hall of mirrors, concealing criminal theft on an epic scale.—
Azadeh Moaveni,
Time,
3 Feb. 2026
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Economic growth fueled by foreign borrowing created an illusion of stability that concealed deepening structural decay.—
Alejandro Reyes,
Washington Post,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The video is obscured at that point.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
3 Feb. 2026
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Mendonça uses these surreal flourishes to reimagine the country of his youth—a place where gruesome crimes were committed by people determined to obscure the evidence.—
Stephania Taladrid,
New Yorker,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
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That’s why scrolling by date and scrubbing through videos still works — search hides uncertainty, scrolling shows everything.—
Ken Colburn,
AZCentral.com,
8 Feb. 2026
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Days after federal agents arrested the Ecuadorian mother hiding under a trailer on a snowy Minneapolis street, White House border czar Tom Homan said 700 federal law enforcement personnel will be withdrawn from the state.—
Ray Sanchez,
CNN Money,
8 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Belie.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/belie. Accessed 11 Feb. 2026.
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