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
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Recent Examples of belying
Saura had a large sense of the humor, which struck those who got to know him, belying the sternness of his public visage with his playful banter and frequent chuckle.
—
John Hopewell, Variety, 6 Mar. 2026
The show’s postcard-ready shots of the northern countryside, with its verdant hills and winding roads, are another incongruity, belying the challenges of survival there for those on the fringes.
—Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 5 Feb. 2026
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
John Hopewell, Variety, 6 Mar. 2026
The show’s postcard-ready shots of the northern countryside, with its verdant hills and winding roads, are another incongruity, belying the challenges of survival there for those on the fringes.
—Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 5 Feb. 2026
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
-
The cannabis company agreed to pay a $50,000 fine for misrepresenting the health benefits of its hemp products.—
Shaun Boyd,
CBS News,
11 June 2026
-
Kroger marketed Carbmaster Bread Products to consumers on specialty diets while significantly misrepresenting the nutritional information of those products.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
8 June 2026
Verb
-
Anne Hathaway is refuting online speculation over whether she's had a facelift.—
Sharareh Drury,
Entertainment Weekly,
22 May 2026
-
King’s break with Johnson was not about refuting his historic contributions.—
Mark Conway,
Baltimore Sun,
9 May 2026
Verb
-
Da Messina’s Annunciation famously excises the angel Gabriel, while Ghirri’s version further edits the event by also obscuring the Virgin herself.—
James Quandt,
Artforum,
2 June 2026
-
The expression is aged in oak long enough to round the spirit without obscuring its herbal, earthy core.—
Joseph V Micallef,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
Verb
-
Possibly moving, removing and replacing materials concealing the time capsule could get expensive.—
Ross Guidotti,
CBS News,
12 June 2026
-
In one of the fraud allegations, authorities alleged that the two companies and some defendants conspired together to defraud the apartment owners of Wang Fuk Court by concealing previous litigation records of Prestige and inflating the score given to the firm in a tender analysis report.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
10 June 2026
Verb
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That includes overturning a decades-old decision that had given regulators an advantage in court and stripping another agency of a major tool in fighting securities fraud.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
4 June 2026
-
South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson disagreed with the court overturning Murdaugh's convictions.—
Christine Pelisek,
PEOPLE,
1 June 2026
Verb
-
Officials found three passengers in the cabin and their suspect hiding in the lavatory, Bali immigration authorities said in a statement.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
11 June 2026
-
The platforms that win will be the ones enabling accountable data access and transparent decision-making, not those hiding behind complexity.—
Ivan Guzenko,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2026
Verb
-
Some of the allegations included removing protective plastic guards covering actresses’ vaginas during the filming of intimate scenes, and Franco getting angry when actresses didn’t want to go topless.—
Cerys Davies,
Los Angeles Times,
15 June 2026
-
Reporters from England said this is a typical setup for the press covering the England men’s national team.—
Pete Grathoff
June 14,
Kansas City Star,
15 June 2026
Verb
-
Don’t sleep on this two-piece lounge set, which is made with 100% cotton in a gauzy finish, ideal for disguising any wrinkles.—
Paige Bennett,
Better Homes & Gardens,
8 June 2026
-
And with that pairing, there can be no disguising their ambitions of a second Super Bowl title since their return to Los Angeles, and to win it again at SoFi Stadium.—
Adam Grosbard,
Oc Register,
1 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Belying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/belying. Accessed 15 Jun. 2026.
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