Definition of lyingnext

lying

2 of 4

noun

lying

3 of 4

verb (1)

present participle of lie

lying

4 of 4

verb (2)

present participle of lie
1
as in leading
to be positioned along a certain course or in a certain direction the train tracks lie just over that hill

Synonyms & Similar Words

2
3
as in hiding
to remain out of sight paparazzi were lying in wait outside the restaurant, a well-known celebrity hangout

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of lying
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
It has been defined in slightly different ways over the years, but some of the traits commonly associated with psychopathy include pathological lying, extreme narcissism, shallow affect, impulsivity and lack of empathy and remorse. — David Dematteo, The Conversation, 20 Oct. 2026 Blatant, in-your-face lying, cheating and stealing is the norm. — Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 16 Sep. 2026 Meanwhile, Melanie’s sister, Steph, begged Melanie to leave Sincere because of his compulsive lying and shady behavior. — Allison Degrushe, StyleCaster, 1 Sep. 2026 Trending Stories Inevitably, the lying started to catch up with her. — Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 18 Aug. 2026 The latest indictment, which the district attorney said was returned July 20, adds the lying in wait circumstance to the previous murder charges. — Liza Esquibias, USA Today, 12 Aug. 2026 Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez then accused Rubio of lying and said that Cuba had no knowledge of the offer. — Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 21 July 2026 Those gathering for the lying in state and funeral will contrast with huge nationwide protests in January that were met by a deadly crackdown by security forces that left thousands dead and sent shock waves around the world. — Chantal Da Silva, NBC news, 3 July 2026 Stop the madness, stop the lying, and just be free. — Marina Watts, Entertainment Weekly, 19 June 2026
Verb
An active participant in the protests, Hrka charged at Informer chief Vucicevic, accusing him of lying. — ABC News, 27 Oct. 2026 The agent, Christian Castro, is accused of lying about the shooting and faces both state and federal charges. — Stephen Swanson, CBS News, 27 Oct. 2026 Until governments at every level are required to report their finances the way private companies must, the numbers will keep lying, the bills will keep growing and the next generation will keep paying the price. — Judi Willard, Baltimore Sun, 27 Oct. 2026 That little girl was apparently perfectly built for fraud, somehow, and found the perfect environment in Silicon Valley, where exaggeration and outright lying were de rigueur. — Torie Bosch, STAT, 24 Oct. 2026 First came the stunned churchgoers surrounding the lifeless body lying under a pew. — Lauren Mascarenhas, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2026 The incumbent senator accused his critics of lying about the controversy before acknowledging that his office sent patients with unpaid bills to collections. — Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 22 Oct. 2026 The issues may have been lying dormant The vulnerabilities have been known about since at least 2024, according to the PHP Foundation. — Kaitlyn Huamani, Chicago Tribune, 22 Oct. 2026 Onlookers and policemen rushed to the balloon’s basket to find the three men lying crumpled on the ground. — Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 21 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lying
Adjective
  • The debate also took on an edgy, deeply personal tone, as the candidates repeatedly accused each other of being dishonest or misleading.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 15 Oct. 2026
  • The other coach is dishonest and decides to strategically rank their players in a different order.
    — Dana Mackenzie, Scientific American, 14 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • The investigation also found that men from 29 countries were recruited through deception or coercion to fight for Russian forces, in violation of international law.
    — Edith M. Lederer, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2026
  • But the movie’s most disturbing sequence takes the deception a lot further.
    — Maxwell Adler, Vanity Fair, 27 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • But looks are deceiving in this case – just like the 3X Plus and 3X before it, the trailer stretches out via three individual telescopic segments that emerge at the push of a button.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Facebook’s lawyers argued that the state failed to prove whether people were actually harmed by these deceiving statements.
    — Mikella Schuettler, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • By halftime, the fourth-year pro who entered the game leading the NFL in receptions and yards stood at six catches, 129 yards and a touchdown.
    — Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Booker scored 19 points in the first half, leading the Suns to a 57-54 halftime lead.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 25 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • The Saints are sitting at 2-4 for the season and have dropped a few close games.
    — OutKick, FOXNews.com, 25 Oct. 2026
  • Blush, bronzer, and highlighter all feature meltable formulas that seem to become part of the skin rather than sitting atop the surface.
    — Jeanne Ballion, Vogue, 24 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Some senators fled while others braced themselves inside the Senate chamber as Officer Eugene Goodman tried to reason with the mob, and Senate staffers barricaded themselves in offices, hiding.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Joseph had spent most of the war hiding in the forest with the Bielski partisan force, a Jewish resistance group.
    — Lauren Collins, New Yorker, 26 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • Soon afterward, an investment-research firm alleged that the company had made misleading claims about pre-orders.
    — Dan Kaufman, New Yorker, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Trump has described the broadcast as false, misleading and defamatory under Florida law.
    — Brittney Melton, NPR, 23 Oct. 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

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Cite this Entry

“Lying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lying. Accessed 30 Oct. 2026.

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