as in dishonest
telling or containing lies
that lying son of a gun told me that the used car had never been in an accident
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in deception
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
as in deceiving
to make a statement one knows to be untrue
would I lie to you about that?
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
2
as in sitting
to occupy a place or location
I left the book lying on the counter
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in hiding
to remain out of sight
paparazzi were lying in wait outside the restaurant, a well-known celebrity hangout
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of lying
Kenan Draughorne, Los Angeles Times, 14 Jan. 2022
Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2026
At the very least, the definition of lying must include speaking with the aim of causing one’s audience to adopt a falsehood.
—Robert B. Talisse, The Conversation, 10 Apr. 2026
Paul frequently accuses Mortenson of cheating and lying, which he’s openly admitted to — after he gets caught.
—Jodi Guglielmi, Rolling Stone, 19 Mar. 2026
To understand whether coffin-lying can actually boost calmness and relieve stress, Outside spoke to two therapists.
—Julia Ries Wexler, Outside, 12 Mar. 2026
The woman in this case gave a victim impact statement Thursday, saying that Donaldson has patterns of manipulation, violence and lying.
—Maya Wilkins, Chicago Tribune, 5 Mar. 2026
The roles of bluffing and secrecy in our interactions with others (or, how lying can help—and hurt—us).
—Literary Hub, 2 Mar. 2026
OpenAI has also shared examples of its models cheating and lying and, in an experiment showcased on the second floor of its San Francisco headquarters, appearing to converse in a totally indecipherable language.
—Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 4 Feb. 2026
Crawford said the lying in wait allegations could not be proved because his client was just standing by a gate when the attack happened.
—City News Service, Oc Register, 25 Jan. 2026
Emily Blackwood, PEOPLE, 17 Apr. 2026
At least six other Department of Aviation workers were investigated for spending hours idling on the job, demonstrating incompetence, stealing city property, and lying during the investigation.
—Chris Tye, CBS News, 15 Apr. 2026
The study, published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology, found that eye pressure was higher in glaucoma patients who slept with two pillows compared to lying flat.
—Angelica Stabile, FOXNews.com, 15 Apr. 2026
There is no physical response linked to lying.
—Rupal Patel, CNBC, 15 Apr. 2026
People who sleep on their backs often feel worse at night because lying flat makes congestion worse by letting mucus pool in the sinuses.
—Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 14 Apr. 2026
Arriving officers found a man, later identified as 37-year-old Giovanni Perez, lying near the airline ticket counter, Daz said in a press release.
—Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 14 Apr. 2026
Everyone in this film has got a con (or five), lying and cheating non-stop, but Wilder doesn't pass judgment.
—Debby Wolfinsohn, Entertainment Weekly, 13 Apr. 2026
The individuals lying about me are devoid of ethical standards, humility and respect.
—ABC News, 12 Apr. 2026
Adjective
He was found dead lying face up on his hotel bed with no signs of trauma, according to a Monday report from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office in Florida.
—Kenan Draughorne, Los Angeles Times, 14 Jan. 2022
Noun
Among the many rules at Augusta National — no cell phones, no booing, no lying in the grass — patrons are not allowed to run.
—Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2026
At the very least, the definition of lying must include speaking with the aim of causing one’s audience to adopt a falsehood.
—Robert B. Talisse, The Conversation, 10 Apr. 2026
Paul frequently accuses Mortenson of cheating and lying, which he’s openly admitted to — after he gets caught.
—Jodi Guglielmi, Rolling Stone, 19 Mar. 2026
To understand whether coffin-lying can actually boost calmness and relieve stress, Outside spoke to two therapists.
—Julia Ries Wexler, Outside, 12 Mar. 2026
The woman in this case gave a victim impact statement Thursday, saying that Donaldson has patterns of manipulation, violence and lying.
—Maya Wilkins, Chicago Tribune, 5 Mar. 2026
The roles of bluffing and secrecy in our interactions with others (or, how lying can help—and hurt—us).
—Literary Hub, 2 Mar. 2026
OpenAI has also shared examples of its models cheating and lying and, in an experiment showcased on the second floor of its San Francisco headquarters, appearing to converse in a totally indecipherable language.
—Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 4 Feb. 2026
Crawford said the lying in wait allegations could not be proved because his client was just standing by a gate when the attack happened.
—City News Service, Oc Register, 25 Jan. 2026
Verb
Brynn shot herself in the mouth while lying next to Phil as officers entered their home.
—Emily Blackwood, PEOPLE, 17 Apr. 2026
At least six other Department of Aviation workers were investigated for spending hours idling on the job, demonstrating incompetence, stealing city property, and lying during the investigation.
—Chris Tye, CBS News, 15 Apr. 2026
The study, published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology, found that eye pressure was higher in glaucoma patients who slept with two pillows compared to lying flat.
—Angelica Stabile, FOXNews.com, 15 Apr. 2026
There is no physical response linked to lying.
—Rupal Patel, CNBC, 15 Apr. 2026
People who sleep on their backs often feel worse at night because lying flat makes congestion worse by letting mucus pool in the sinuses.
—Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 14 Apr. 2026
Arriving officers found a man, later identified as 37-year-old Giovanni Perez, lying near the airline ticket counter, Daz said in a press release.
—Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 14 Apr. 2026
Everyone in this film has got a con (or five), lying and cheating non-stop, but Wilder doesn't pass judgment.
—Debby Wolfinsohn, Entertainment Weekly, 13 Apr. 2026
The individuals lying about me are devoid of ethical standards, humility and respect.
—ABC News, 12 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lying
Adjective
-
Laptop twee tries to pretend those simpler times are accessible, which makes for exaggerated, juvenile glee—a dishonest document of 2026, but a wildly appealing one.—
Samuel Hyland,
Pitchfork,
15 Apr. 2026
-
The election took place amid a surge in violent crime and corruption that has fueled widespread discontent among voters, who largely view candidates as dishonest and unprepared for the presidency.—
Franklin Briceño,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
However genuine their connection, their paths were forged in deception and self-loathing.—
Andy Andersen,
Vulture,
13 Apr. 2026
-
Their commitment to the deception has no limit.—
Matt Cabral,
Entertainment Weekly,
13 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Such allegations are widespread but misleading.—
William Proctor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
11 Apr. 2026
-
Hartsuch, a proponent of using ivermectin to treat COVID-19, alleges that in December 2021, Kent Nebel, then the executive director of the Board of Medicine, indicated that 17 Iowa doctors had complaints filed against them for spreading false or misleading information about COVID-19.—
Clark Kauffman,
Iowa Capital Dispatch,
11 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
This week, in testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Attorney General Pam Bondi gave a master class in obfuscation, prevarication, and pettiness.—
John Ficarra,
Air Mail,
11 Oct. 2025
-
There was no picture, there was no drawing, there has been so many lies, so much prevarication, so much cover up.—
John Parkinson,
ABC News,
10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
When the news breaks of faraway civilian casualties — an erroneous air strike on a school that relied on outdated intelligence, for example — the mind takes refuge in abstractions and statistics.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Apr. 2026
-
But those who in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries made erroneous predictions of imminent mass starvation erred by underestimating the world‑changing potential of grasses.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
But even for in-person classes, adaptations to prevent LLM cheating are often concessions that reduce pedagogical quality.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
13 Apr. 2026
-
Time and again, the panel of experts invited to provide testimony said voter fraud is exceedingly rare and that there is no evidence of widespread cheating.—
Linh Tat,
Daily News,
8 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The 2026 State of the Union speech stands in contrast, a speech by a mendacious demagogue who has degraded his listeners by debauching their instincts.—
Eliot A. Cohen,
The Atlantic,
26 Feb. 2026
-
Supporters of recent state AI regulations said the measures will address potential threats to public safety and personal privacy, and to counter any mendacious actions created by AI, while not hindering innovation.—
Hope Moses,
Chicago Tribune,
10 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Another 24% of participants cited poor leadership, dishonesty and personal dislikes as their reason for disapproving.—
JT Moodee Lockman,
CBS News,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Her cross-examination — with its rapid-fire accusations, caustic tone and presumption of dishonesty — had felt eerily familiar after years of verbal abuse.—
Pamela Colloff,
ProPublica,
24 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Lying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lying. Accessed 18 Apr. 2026.
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