as in lie
a statement that is only partly true and that is intended to deceive people
I'm tired of all these half-truths—I want to know the real story.
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Recent Examples of half-truth
That’s when the parade of half-truths goes marching by.
—
John Nogowski, Hartford Courant, 24 Apr. 2025
That’s because, despite the fact that Trump’s claims about immigrants are mostly half-truths or blatant lies, a sizable portion of Americans have come to believe them.
—Andres Oppenheimer, Miami Herald, 22 Apr. 2025
And the public is left drowning in a sea of hot takes and half-truths, trying to make sense of what—if anything—actually matters.
—Jason D. Greenblatt, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Apr. 2025
True to the postmodern nature of DEI, the efforts to save it are a cacophony of half-truths, distortions, and downright lies.
—Ian Kingsbury, National Review, 22 Mar. 2025
Yet critics of American agriculture are spreading half-truths and outright lies.
—Raja Krishnamoorthi, Newsweek, 13 Mar. 2025
The issue is racially-charged and complex, and its discussion is often fueled by half-truths and myths spread online.
—William Lambers, Newsweek, 7 Mar. 2025
Everybody is lying or telling half-truths the whole time in this show.
—Max Gao, Variety, 22 Feb. 2025
Tribune reporter Ronald Yates then revealed in 1976 that two witnesses were forced to tell half-truths and withhold vital information during Toguri’s trial.
—Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 11 Feb. 2025
John Nogowski, Hartford Courant, 24 Apr. 2025
That’s because, despite the fact that Trump’s claims about immigrants are mostly half-truths or blatant lies, a sizable portion of Americans have come to believe them.
—Andres Oppenheimer, Miami Herald, 22 Apr. 2025
And the public is left drowning in a sea of hot takes and half-truths, trying to make sense of what—if anything—actually matters.
—Jason D. Greenblatt, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Apr. 2025
True to the postmodern nature of DEI, the efforts to save it are a cacophony of half-truths, distortions, and downright lies.
—Ian Kingsbury, National Review, 22 Mar. 2025
Yet critics of American agriculture are spreading half-truths and outright lies.
—Raja Krishnamoorthi, Newsweek, 13 Mar. 2025
The issue is racially-charged and complex, and its discussion is often fueled by half-truths and myths spread online.
—William Lambers, Newsweek, 7 Mar. 2025
Everybody is lying or telling half-truths the whole time in this show.
—Max Gao, Variety, 22 Feb. 2025
Tribune reporter Ronald Yates then revealed in 1976 that two witnesses were forced to tell half-truths and withhold vital information during Toguri’s trial.
—Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 11 Feb. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for half-truth
Noun
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In some contexts, [Lay] is the past tense of lie, as in recline.—
Sam Corbin,
New York Times,
22 Apr. 2025
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Perhaps that’s what makes my lies defective and disjointed.—
Domenico Starnone,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2025
Noun
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But the most sobering cautionary tale comes from 1894, when a lighthouse keeper’s pet cat named Tibbles was introduced to Stephens Island in New Zealand.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
26 Apr. 2025
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Comments On Swift Horses is rife with drama — a tale of a love triangle between a young woman, Muriel (Daisy Edgar-Jones), her Korean War veteran husband Lee (Will Poulter), and his iconoclastic brother Julius (Jacob Elordi).—
Maureen Lee Lenker,
EW.com,
25 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Then, after young mothers and children who had just arrived shared their stories, the Holy Father returned to the sister who had been mentioned before.—
Mireya Villarreal,
ABC News,
24 Apr. 2025
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Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.—
Ingrid Vasquez,
People.com,
24 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Half-truth.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/half-truth. Accessed 3 May. 2025.
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