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
This is a dangerous half-truth.
—
Randy Niemeyer, Chicago Tribune, 13 Mar. 2026
Don’t settle for half-truths; seek meaningful joy.
—Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 26 Feb. 2026
Some information is useful, some is harmful and some are half-truths that can cost you real money.
—Miriam Fauzia, Dallas Morning News, 18 Feb. 2026
People who rely on half-truths often underestimate how visible their behavior becomes.
—Johnny C. Taylor Jr, USA Today, 3 Feb. 2026
In this environment, influencers and politically motivated accounts now function as de facto broadcasters, often spreading half-truths, distortions or outright falsehoods with little accountability.
—Editorial, Boston Herald, 1 Feb. 2026
Over the next 90 years, tourism in Natchez blossomed around half-truths and omissions.
—Joe Sills, Forbes.com, 30 Jan. 2026
Social media spread half-truths faster than public-health leaders could correct them.
—Robert Pearl, Mercury News, 30 Dec. 2025
Seasoned watchers of Potomac will know this to be a half-truth.
—Shamira Ibrahim, Vulture, 8 Dec. 2025
Randy Niemeyer, Chicago Tribune, 13 Mar. 2026
Don’t settle for half-truths; seek meaningful joy.
—Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 26 Feb. 2026
Some information is useful, some is harmful and some are half-truths that can cost you real money.
—Miriam Fauzia, Dallas Morning News, 18 Feb. 2026
People who rely on half-truths often underestimate how visible their behavior becomes.
—Johnny C. Taylor Jr, USA Today, 3 Feb. 2026
In this environment, influencers and politically motivated accounts now function as de facto broadcasters, often spreading half-truths, distortions or outright falsehoods with little accountability.
—Editorial, Boston Herald, 1 Feb. 2026
Over the next 90 years, tourism in Natchez blossomed around half-truths and omissions.
—Joe Sills, Forbes.com, 30 Jan. 2026
Social media spread half-truths faster than public-health leaders could correct them.
—Robert Pearl, Mercury News, 30 Dec. 2025
Seasoned watchers of Potomac will know this to be a half-truth.
—Shamira Ibrahim, Vulture, 8 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for half-truth
Noun
-
There's so much to see, from the Painted Desert in the north to the southern half of the drive, where most of the petrified wood lies.—
Patricia Doherty,
Travel + Leisure,
3 May 2026
-
The average score Sunday, with preferred lies, was 69.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
3 May 2026
Noun
-
The most obvious answer was that the story, on a deeper level, needed to be timeless, a tale of a desperate person facing moral dilemmas of increasing extremity while trying to hold fast to their values.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
1 May 2026
-
The children participated in Disney+'s 2025 documentary Lost in the Jungle, which recounted their tale of survival, per The New York Times.—
Emily Blackwood,
PEOPLE,
1 May 2026
Noun
-
Made in response to a difficult breakup, the work alludes to two lovers parting ways, but also to Pau’s memories of isolation as a severely asthmatic child in a notoriously polluted city, lying in bed staring at the wall and inventing stories to distract herself from the difficulty of breathing.—
Pauline J. Yao,
Artforum,
2 May 2026
-
The $30 million, 28-story towers contained 3,000 rooms, an 18-hole rooftop miniature golf course complete with sand traps and its own hospital.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
2 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Half-truth.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/half-truth. Accessed 6 May. 2026.
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