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
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 What better time than the summer of the nation’s 250th anniversary of independence to reflect on how Trump’s years of lying have corroded the citizenry’s essential belief in the integrity of elections? Jackie Calmes, Mercury News, 19 June 2026 Stop the madness, stop the lying, and just be free. Marina Watts, Entertainment Weekly, 19 June 2026
Verb
After lying dormant for over twenty years, the property has been completely renovated to make the space feel tasteful, modern, and comfortable while continuing to pay tribute to its deep archival roots. Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Sep. 2026 Accusers were exaggerating or lying outright in pursuit of a payday. Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 21 Sep. 2026 At one point, she could be seen lying across the hood of the car and flipping over to face down before laughing and getting up to stand on the vehicle. Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 20 Sep. 2026 Simon was similarly criminally charged and accused of lying about knowledge of Nasar's abuse. Kristen Jordan Shamus, Freep.com, 20 Sep. 2026 Even more horrifying than death was the thought of lying there, trapped beneath the rubble, listening to my two-year-old son desperately crying for help. Literary Hub, 15 Sep. 2026 Failure to cooperate or lying can lead to criminal charges, including contempt, perjury, obstruction and related offenses that threaten incarceration. Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 11 Sep. 2026 The mother initially told police the baby stopped responding while lying face down in their bed after she was fed. Mike Hellgren, CBS News, 11 Sep. 2026 There also are no specific physiological reactions associated with lying. Brian O'Neill, The Conversation, 10 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lying
Adjective
  • Central figure Prosecutors Clark and Juenger portrayed Noreus as a central figure in the diploma-mill operation rather than simply a school administrator who became entangled with dishonest recruiters and students.
    Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 16 Sep. 2026
  • Davis said that witnesses were dishonest about his character throughout the trial, including FBI agents and police officers who testified for the prosecution.
    Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 5 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • These are two examples of politicians' truths among a plethora of others that are really lies, distortions, deceptions and desecrations of the citizens' trust in them.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 23 Sep. 2026
  • In the acquisition space, the Nats traded Jake Bennett, who sits 93 and relies on deception and command, to the Red Sox for Luis Perales, who sits 99 with a gnarly splitter.
    Spencer Nusbaum, New York Times, 16 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • The Bucs couldn’t ask for a better bounce-back opponent after dropping their opener in Cincy, a somewhat deceiving result because of all the Baker Mayfield turnovers.
    Hank Gola, New York Daily News, 18 Sep. 2026
  • The public deserves to know which of his points were defensible and which were deceiving.
    Stewart Mandel, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Suicide remains the 10th leading cause of death in the United States, and CDC data released this year show firearm suicides actually climbed to their highest level on record in 2025, topping 28,000.
    Courtney Marx, Sun Sentinel, 20 Sep. 2026
  • Trump is also banking on America going full throttle on AI development despite voter resistance to data centers and recent alarming safety warnings from the leading AI companies.
    Josh Boak, Fortune, 20 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • So yes, there could be another universe where David Brooks and Priya are sitting, but Priya’s not wearing a blue blouse.
    David Brooks, The Atlantic, 20 Sep. 2026
  • In the museum’s Skywalker Grill restaurant, Leonardo DiCaprio held court at a center table with Al Pacino, with Francis Ford Coppola and Jeffrey Katzenberg sitting nearby.
    Kirsten Chuba, HollywoodReporter, 20 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Just as O’Malley and Rahill’s work is infatuated with toxic masculinity and fratty hopecore, Bensinger’s is obsessed with sheepish dude-empaths hiding beneath layers of uneasy bravado.
    Kathryn VanArendonk, Vulture, 21 Sep. 2026
  • The pursuit eventually led officers into the forest outside Sacramento, where 44-year-old Derek Spencer held them at bay by hiding and firing from behind a berm until he was shot and killed, authorities said.
    Breaking News, Los Angeles Times, 21 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • A matter of distance and brightness The stars that compose the Triangle — Vega, Altair, and Deneb — lie at very unequal distances from us, so their apparent brightness can give a misleading impression of their true luminosity.
    Joe Rao, Space.com, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Publishers don’t want irrelevant or misleading ads to appear on their media sources.
    Roman Vrublivskyi, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 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 23 Sep. 2026.

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