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
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
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
Verb
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Lawyers can face serious sanctions, including Florida Bar complaints, for citing nonexistent cases or misrepresenting prior rulings.
-
At the same time, organizations can't assume every candidate is misrepresenting themselves simply because AI was involved somewhere in the process.
Verb
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The Whitney Houston estate is refuting Oprah Winfrey recalling that the late singer was high and fell off the stage during an appearance on her talk show.
-
Two other retired judges later published their own piece refuting Gilliard’s contention.
Verb
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The irony is a bit hard to ignore — the very environment being modified to protect or maintain beaches was simultaneously obscuring the ecological processes happening just offshore.
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And what’s a novelist but a fence, furnishing imaginary scenes with choice pieces of reality while obscuring their provenance?
Verb
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An advocacy group trying to investigate DOGE’s influence on the Federal Communications Commission accused the FCC of failing to comply with a public records request and of concealing Chairman Brendan Carr’s use of the Signal messaging service.
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Trees tower over the cemetery, and branches stretch across the fence, concealing the entrance from passersby.
Verb
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Nonetheless, overturning the election would be unprecedented in Colombian history.
-
Ehrlich said athletes very well could continue to petition courts for extended eligibility based on antitrust arguments, but appellate courts recently have delivered wins for the NCAA by overturning preliminary injunctions in several cases.
Verb
-
The country’s singular role in hiding Jews from their Nazi occupiers is well documented.
-
The anti-Trump rage, the surge of younger, more educated progressive voters, the hunger for someone willing to fight on affordability with policy, message, and tone, in Albany and Washington — all of it was hiding in plain sight for anyone looking at the data rather than the tired, old playbook.
Verb
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Roadside assistance is included, covering towing, flat-tire service and lockout support.
-
Lining and fully covering them is better still.
Verb
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But some users find clever ways to sidestep those controls, by disguising sensitive requests as role-playing games, poems or pictures, with many swapping tips and ideas online.
-
For a Black man to reinforce those same stereotypes, while disguising them as objective commentary, is even more damaging.
Cite this Entry
“Belying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/belying. Accessed 1 Jul. 2026.
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