as in lies
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-truths
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
In a field crowded by lore, half-truths, and marketing copy, Chartreuse distinguishes itself by being the real deal.
—Jason O'Bryan, Robb Report, 6 Dec. 2025
In a world where images are so numerous and so difficult to understand, truth itself can be in danger, threatened by false interpretations and distorted, misleading half-truths.
—Literary Hub, 3 Sep. 2025
The intrigue in The Martians comes from its author’s patient demonstration of how half-truths and subjective observations can snowball into consensus.
—David Kamp, Air Mail, 23 Aug. 2025
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
In a field crowded by lore, half-truths, and marketing copy, Chartreuse distinguishes itself by being the real deal.
—Jason O'Bryan, Robb Report, 6 Dec. 2025
In a world where images are so numerous and so difficult to understand, truth itself can be in danger, threatened by false interpretations and distorted, misleading half-truths.
—Literary Hub, 3 Sep. 2025
The intrigue in The Martians comes from its author’s patient demonstration of how half-truths and subjective observations can snowball into consensus.
—David Kamp, Air Mail, 23 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for half-truths
Noun
-
Video recorded by people on the scene quickly revealed those accounts to be blatant lies.—
The Orlando Sentinel,
The Orlando Sentinel,
3 Feb. 2026
-
The novel threatens the lies of a totalitarian regime like the Islamic Republic.—
Azar Nafisi,
Time,
3 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
These are human stories first and foremost, tales of tragedy, struggle over adversity, and bittersweet romance.—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
29 Jan. 2026
-
His whimsical and precisely-staged tales play on the artifice of cinema as much as on the heightened emotions of their characters.—
David Morgan,
CBS News,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Michael Venos, a 46-year-old database administrator from Roxbury, New Jersey, has been collecting stories of Groundhog Day events and their weather predictions for about a decade.—
Mark Scolforo,
Fortune,
31 Jan. 2026
-
Her goal is to improve the health of our community through easy-to-understand facts and real people's stories.—
Nicole Villalpando,
Austin American Statesman,
31 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
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
-
The pardon weakens deterrence and signals that federal power, rather than correcting colonial distortions, can just as easily entrench them.—
Israel Melendez Ayala,
Time,
30 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Half-truths.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/half-truths. Accessed 5 Feb. 2026.
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