BELYING Synonyms: 128 Similar and Opposite Words

belying

verb

Definition of belying next

present participle of belie

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

as in refuting

to prove to be false the latest information belies the old theory

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for belying

Verb

Mejia said that Sokoloff was misrepresenting how many audits his predecessor had done by counting the number of reports — not actual audits — released over that time.

— Sandra McDonald, Los Angeles Times, 29 May 2026
In a 255-page report, longtime pension writer and financial investigator Ted Siedle accused the California Public Employees’ Retirement System of misrepresenting the amount paid to Wall Street managers and withholding records about the fund’s investments.

— William Melhado, Sacbee.com, 22 May 2026