belying

verb

present participle of belie
1
as in misrepresenting
to give a misleading impression of his bright smile belied his actual mood, which was really one of great sadness

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in refuting
to prove to be false the latest information belies the old theory

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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

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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 For most islanders—not to mention for most of us watching—the search for love is a false grail, belying a rabid, desperate host of social needs that actively undermine the pursuit. — Lillian Fishman, New Yorker, 27 June 2026 With Erik Spoelstra saying all the right things but belying them with his actions, the Kel’el Ware-Bam Adebayo pairing appeared to have a limited future. — Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 27 June 2026 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 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
  1. misrepresenting
  2. refuting
  3. obscuring
  4. concealing
  5. overturning
  6. hiding
  7. covering
  8. disguising
Verb
  • Plaintiffs alleged that the event promoters were negligent in failing to secure required permits, not providing adequate security or crowd control and misrepresenting the event as safe for families, according to the statement.
    — Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 July 2026
  • According to a federal complaint, Latchford created false provenance documents and falsified invoices and shipping documents, even misrepresenting the artworks’ country of origin.
    — Marc Ramirez, USA Today, 16 July 2026
Definition of misrepresenting
Verb
  • Many d This week, the department issued a follow-up statement refuting both of those claims.
    — Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 15 July 2026
  • The distant thud of shelling punctuates the evening, refuting one guest’s optimism that the latest ceasefire agreement will endure.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 14 July 2026
Definition of refuting
Verb
  • But as health officials struggle to identify the source of a growing outbreak, some experts believe the focus on food may be obscuring the bigger picture.
    — Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 11 July 2026
  • Also, there are important players coming back from significant injuries, obscuring the picture.
    — David Aldridge, New York Times, 2 July 2026
Definition of obscuring
Verb
  • Also featured in the film is the K-pop singing group Saja Boys — Jinu, Mystery, Abby, Romance and Baby — who are concealing their identities as demons.
    — Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026
  • The family of an 18-year-old Texas honor student whose body was recovered from a Dallas-area lake is demanding murder charges after police accused two teenagers of concealing evidence instead of reporting his drowning.
    — Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 14 July 2026
Definition of concealing
Verb
  • The players were aware of popular sentiment against overturning the call.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 11 July 2026
  • Earlier this year, Zeldin proposed overturning the landmark finding that climate change is a threat to human health.
    — Ali Swenson, Chicago Tribune, 10 July 2026
Definition of overturning
Verb
  • Little does Sinon know, Odysseus and his men are hiding inside the horse to launch a sneak attack on Troy.
    — Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 19 July 2026
  • The philosopher Michael Sandel (Rhodes Scholar, Harvard professor) accuses elites of hiding their privilege behind spurious claims of merit.
    — Gilad Edelman, The Atlantic, 19 July 2026
Definition of hiding
Verb
  • Maryland’s biggest grant program is generous, covering full financial need for students, up to $18,000 a year.
    — Jay A. Perman, Baltimore Sun, 18 July 2026
  • But one of the joys of covering this World Cup has been speaking to women who love soccer.
    — Jasmine Garsd, NPR, 18 July 2026
Definition of covering
Verb
  • That can remove visual boundaries, disguising any lines that would otherwise truncate your walls.
    — Andee Tagle, NPR, 19 July 2026
  • Any suggestion that the hot hit of spice barely disguising a watery want of flavor was all too fitting a symbol for this phase in Madonna’s career would have been met with indignation.
    — Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 13 July 2026
Definition of disguising

Browse Nearby Words

belvederes
belying
bemire
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Cite this Entry

“Belying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/belying. Accessed 22 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on belying

Nglish: Translation of belying for Spanish Speakers

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