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
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Recent Examples of lying
Kenan Draughorne, Los Angeles Times, 14 Jan. 2022
Jodi Guglielmi, Rolling Stone, 19 Mar. 2026
Aristotle said that lying is an unjust act.
—Katherine Moses, The Conversation, 13 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
The selfish tyrant attaches himself only to those others who share his selfishness, who are eager to wear the mask of perpetual lying.
—David Brooks, Mercury News, 24 Jan. 2026
Kathryn Hughes, The New York Review of Books, 4 Apr. 2026
Speaking of the fancy hybrid varieties, each flower appears to be a flower within a flower, since each typically consists of two contrasting floral stars, lying flat upon one another.
—Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 3 Apr. 2026
Environmentalist groups accused Mexico’s government of lying about the source of a massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, something Mexican authorities promptly denied.
—Megan Janetsky, Los Angeles Times, 1 Apr. 2026
One day — when all six adults were lying about, sleeping after a night of hunting — a big gray wolf, strange to the group, showed up on a ridge and trotted casually toward the den.
—Frank Glaser, Outdoor Life, 1 Apr. 2026
Officers and paramedics found Moore lying face down in a hallway with multiple gunshot wounds.
—Kathryn Kovalenko, Twin Cities, 31 Mar. 2026
William Boon Redman's marker is under the watchful eye of one such faithful companion, but the model for the stone dog lying alongside Redman's grave is not buried beneath the canine monument.
—Jennie Key, Cincinnati Enquirer, 31 Mar. 2026
Starting off with Rue being interviewed about whether or not she's been to Mexico (and lying about it), the trailer then shows a scene from Cassie and Nate's wedding, along with what the rest of the group is now up to as adults.
—Samantha Stutsman, PEOPLE, 31 Mar. 2026
On March 12, Christopher Root, 29, of Old Saybrook was found lying near a pool of vomit in his cell at the MacDougall-Walker Correctional Institution in Suffield.
—Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 30 Mar. 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
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
Aristotle said that lying is an unjust act.
—Katherine Moses, The Conversation, 13 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
The selfish tyrant attaches himself only to those others who share his selfishness, who are eager to wear the mask of perpetual lying.
—David Brooks, Mercury News, 24 Jan. 2026
Verb
With its mix of Norse mythology, eighteenth-century cryptozoology, nineteenth-century science fiction, and the biblical apocalypse, the poem tells of something tragic and mysterious lying just beyond the bounds of human knowing.
—Kathryn Hughes, The New York Review of Books, 4 Apr. 2026
Speaking of the fancy hybrid varieties, each flower appears to be a flower within a flower, since each typically consists of two contrasting floral stars, lying flat upon one another.
—Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 3 Apr. 2026
Environmentalist groups accused Mexico’s government of lying about the source of a massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, something Mexican authorities promptly denied.
—Megan Janetsky, Los Angeles Times, 1 Apr. 2026
One day — when all six adults were lying about, sleeping after a night of hunting — a big gray wolf, strange to the group, showed up on a ridge and trotted casually toward the den.
—Frank Glaser, Outdoor Life, 1 Apr. 2026
Officers and paramedics found Moore lying face down in a hallway with multiple gunshot wounds.
—Kathryn Kovalenko, Twin Cities, 31 Mar. 2026
William Boon Redman's marker is under the watchful eye of one such faithful companion, but the model for the stone dog lying alongside Redman's grave is not buried beneath the canine monument.
—Jennie Key, Cincinnati Enquirer, 31 Mar. 2026
Starting off with Rue being interviewed about whether or not she's been to Mexico (and lying about it), the trailer then shows a scene from Cassie and Nate's wedding, along with what the rest of the group is now up to as adults.
—Samantha Stutsman, PEOPLE, 31 Mar. 2026
On March 12, Christopher Root, 29, of Old Saybrook was found lying near a pool of vomit in his cell at the MacDougall-Walker Correctional Institution in Suffield.
—Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 30 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lying
Adjective
-
Asked about those allegations, Grossi said his role is to provide technical expertise, not to weigh in on whether Iran was honest or dishonest.—
Joe Walsh,
CBS News,
20 Mar. 2026
-
This is dishonest and partisan.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
13 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
In 2024, North Korea claimed to have successfully testlaunched a multiwarhead missile, but South Korea quickly dismissed it as deception to cover up a failed launch.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
30 Mar. 2026
-
These include debt bondage, restriction of movement, withholding of wages, excessive overtime, physical violence, surveillance, deception, isolation, abuse of vulnerability and abusive conditions.—
Efrat Lachter,
FOXNews.com,
29 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Winds high above Saturn were generating electrical currents, creating a misleading auroral signal that mimicked changes in rotation.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Parts of the ballot language backing a tax on second homes in San Diego are misleading and must be amended, a judge ruled Thursday.—
Roxana Popescu,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 Mar. 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
-
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
-
Complaints vary from inquiries sent through the website going unanswered and erroneous card charges to broken or ineffective merchandise.—
Dina Kaur,
AZCentral.com,
24 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
There seems to be a widespread perception that musicians who use artificial intelligence are engaged in a form of cheating.—
Kelefa Sanneh,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
-
There is no rampant cheating or election fraud in California.—
Mark Z. Barabak,
Mercury News,
26 Mar. 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 5 Apr. 2026.
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