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
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
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
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Data asymmetries create both competitive advantages and significant challenges, including regulatory hurdles and concerns about synthetic data potentially misrepresenting edge cases or amplifying societal biases.—
Akhilesh Tripathi,
Forbes.com,
28 Aug. 2025
-
As Carney sharply questioned the DDA at a commission meeting Tuesday, the normally mild-mannered Commissioner Tom Markert accused him of a vendetta, and of misrepresenting his own statements.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
20 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Instead, the Department of Justice (DOJ) last month released an unsigned memo refuting all of the most damning theories surrounding the case.—
Emily Brooks,
The Hill,
14 Aug. 2025
-
Hall ended up refuting his own hypothesis.—
Dhruv Khullar,
The New Yorker,
6 Jan. 2025
Verb
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The distance blur can also be dramatic, obscuring your view of what’s to come and essentially hiding its beauty.—
Matt Gardner,
Forbes.com,
2 Sep. 2025
-
Then there’s a period where addiction is obscuring whatever that initial wound is.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
1 Sep. 2025
Verb
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She is charged with abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence, and concealing the birth of an infant, the Lexington Police Department said in a news release.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
PEOPLE,
7 Sep. 2025
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Dugan is charged with concealing an individual to prevent arrest, a misdemeanor, and obstruction, which is a felony.—
Scott Bauer,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Several of President Donald Trump‘s firings of independent agency heads have made their way through the Supreme Court‘s emergency docket, but Tuesday’s ruling in a federal appeals court likely moves the justices closer to overturning a 90-year precedent on the issue.—
Jack Birle,
The Washington Examiner,
4 Sep. 2025
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The bus exited the roadway and struck a ditch before overturning onto the driver’s side.—
Caroline Zimmerman,
Kansas City Star,
30 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Word of the raid spread across the property, triggering a scramble among workers who attempted to flee, with some running to a sewage pond and others hiding in air ducts.—
Caroll Alvarado,
CNN Money,
6 Sep. 2025
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There’s no Nurse Ratched here, however, but there is the kindly Steve, who watches out for all of them, especially Shy, who is hiding a secret from the others.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Welcome to Path to Playoff, the USA TODAY Sports newsletter covering all things college football and the chase for this year's national championship.—
Erick Smith,
USA Today,
8 Sep. 2025
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While the negative human-health effects of smoke from the Glass Fire have been well documented, the toxic brown blanket covering the Napa Valley is also devastating bee populations, said local beekeeper John Sevigny.—
Ethan Baron,
Mercury News,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
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These can often be perceived as condescending, disguising advice within a seemingly innocuous question.—
Julie Kratz,
Forbes.com,
17 Aug. 2025
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Scott said that the two carried out the affair without Erin knowing by disguising their intimate meetings as trips to the home improvement store Lowe's.—
Chris Spargo,
People.com,
7 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Belying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/belying. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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