1
as in misrepresenting
to give a misleading impression of
his bright smile belied his actual mood, which was really one of great sadness
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in refuting
to prove to be false
the latest information belies the old theory
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in obscuring
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of belying
Then Danielle and Michèle dance, with a casual tenderness belying how charged the moment is for Michèle.
—
Richard Brody, New Yorker, 10 Sep. 2025
Inside, its luxurious custom leather seats and carbon fiber trim transform the Shelby into a quality cabin belying its F-150 roots.
—Peter Lyon, Forbes.com, 27 Aug. 2025
On an unremarkable clay tennis court in the Spanish city of Alicante, watched on by only a handful of spectators, two teenagers swipe the ball to one another with surprising vigor, belying their scrawny, adolescent frames.
—George Ramsay, CNN Money, 25 Aug. 2025
Henry communicates the weight of Ray’s past with a flicker in his gaze and a shadow that falls over his face, belying the easy confidence established by the character’s introduction.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 25 Aug. 2025
Adem Zorgane has long been a statistical anomaly in Belgian football, his incredible passing numbers belying his position at the heart of a distinctly mid-table side.
—Thom Harris, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2025
Richard Brody, New Yorker, 10 Sep. 2025
Inside, its luxurious custom leather seats and carbon fiber trim transform the Shelby into a quality cabin belying its F-150 roots.
—Peter Lyon, Forbes.com, 27 Aug. 2025
On an unremarkable clay tennis court in the Spanish city of Alicante, watched on by only a handful of spectators, two teenagers swipe the ball to one another with surprising vigor, belying their scrawny, adolescent frames.
—George Ramsay, CNN Money, 25 Aug. 2025
Henry communicates the weight of Ray’s past with a flicker in his gaze and a shadow that falls over his face, belying the easy confidence established by the character’s introduction.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 25 Aug. 2025
Adem Zorgane has long been a statistical anomaly in Belgian football, his incredible passing numbers belying his position at the heart of a distinctly mid-table side.
—Thom Harris, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for belying
Verb
-
Their false-ownership counterclaim — accusing Hill of misrepresenting authorship in copyright filings — survived an anti-SLAPP motion to strike in September 2024; Hill has appealed that ruling to the Ninth Circuit.—
Mike Fleming Jr,
Deadline,
29 Oct. 2025
-
The settlement alleged that TFG Holding violated state consumer protection laws by misrepresenting the price consumers could expect to pay for products advertised on the company’s websites.—
Suzanne Blake,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The film spends the next hour and 50 minutes refuting that idea.—
Sadie Sartini Garner,
Pitchfork,
24 Oct. 2025
-
Michaels took to her Instagram days after the release of Fit for TV to post a series of screenshots of text chains, email threads, and other pieces of documentation refuting or otherwise complicating each claim leveled at her.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The video screen split into panels that lifted up and down throughout the show, always obscuring a large part of the stage.—
Angie Martoccio,
Rolling Stone,
4 Nov. 2025
-
Breaking up or obscuring the reflection makes the glass visible to birds, preventing them from hitting your windows.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Instead of concealing them, Ban’s shutters filter light and create privacy—transforming utilitarian design into art.—
Abby Montanez,
Robb Report,
24 Oct. 2025
-
Trump faced criminal counts of conspiring to obstruct justice, concealing documents and making false statements.—
Aysha Bagchi,
USA Today,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Conservative Supreme Court Justice's Views on Obergefell Conservative Justice Clarence Thomas, joined by Justice Samuel Alito, signaled interest in reexamining past precedents like Obergefell in a concurrence with the Supreme Court's 2022 ruling overturning Roe.—
Jason Lemon,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
-
With this reasoning, the Court ruled against Scott and legalized slavery in the territories by overturning the Missouri Compromise.—
Equal Justice Initiative,
USA Today,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
The ‘major questions’ doctrine, a principle way to interpret statutes, prevents Congress from hiding major powers in insignificant laws.—
Morgan Chalfant,
semafor.com,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Goldin’s remains, according to two Israeli sources, are likely held in Rafah in southern Gaza near an area where up to 200 Hamas militants are hiding in underground tunnels in territory occupied by Israeli forces.—
Oren Liebermann,
CNN Money,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Former President Bill Clinton arrived at the New York City Marathon finish line Sunday with a bandage covering the tip of his nose.—
Emma Bussey,
FOXNews.com,
2 Nov. 2025
-
The Pentagon recently imposed the most stringent access restrictions of the term, requiring that all reporters covering the Defense Department in person sign a restrictive press policy prohibiting them from soliciting any information the department has not authorized for release.—
Scott Nover,
Arkansas Online,
2 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
No need to curb your enthusiasm here because Tony Hawk did a pretty, pretty good job disguising himself as the legendary Larry David.—
Diana Pearl,
PEOPLE,
31 Oct. 2025
-
As a result, many civil servants are wary of serving baijiu at government functions; others are skirting the rule by disguising the clear liquor as water.—
Reed Albergotti,
semafor.com,
29 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Belying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/belying. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share