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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of lying
Kenan Draughorne, Los Angeles Times, 14 Jan. 2022
Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 22 May 2026
His lying has finally caught up with him.
—Erin Moriarty, CBS News, 17 May 2026
Huang throws the first group dinner of the series and, when confronted with both the rumors and the lying, quits on the spot.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 1 May 2026
And honesty will get you far in life and lying is not fun.
—Michelle Lee, PEOPLE, 30 Apr. 2026
The definition of a lying, scumbag politician –– that is you.
—Ryan Mancini, The Hill, 23 Apr. 2026
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
Warren P. Strobel, Washington Post, 28 May 2026
In 2022, veteran homicide detective Phong Tran was accused of bribing a witness in a murder case and then lying about it.
—Jakob Rodgers, Mercury News, 28 May 2026
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass desperately wants Angelenos to trust her and not their lying eyes.
—Sal Rodriguez, Daily News, 28 May 2026
Police found a man with multiple gunshot wounds lying outside, between two apartments, and bullet casings nearby.
—Katie Langford, Denver Post, 28 May 2026
There was one still, an overhead shot of them all lying around the statue of Christ.
—Damon Wise, Deadline, 28 May 2026
The film begins with soldiers lying dead on a seashore, near bloody waters — a reminder of the catastrophic rehearsal for D-Day called Exercise Tiger, which resulted in hundreds of deaths of American servicemen.
—ABC News, 27 May 2026
In the transcript, the astronauts describe watching for the flashes while lying awake in the spacecraft.
—Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 22 May 2026
Prolonged heavy rain will result in ponding of water on roadways, standing water in low lying areas, and minor flooding of creeks and streams.
—Nc Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 22 May 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
None of the ugliness of World's Apart or Kaôh Rōng permeated the proceedings, even amongst all the lying and backstabbing.
—Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 22 May 2026
His lying has finally caught up with him.
—Erin Moriarty, CBS News, 17 May 2026
Huang throws the first group dinner of the series and, when confronted with both the rumors and the lying, quits on the spot.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 1 May 2026
And honesty will get you far in life and lying is not fun.
—Michelle Lee, PEOPLE, 30 Apr. 2026
The definition of a lying, scumbag politician –– that is you.
—Ryan Mancini, The Hill, 23 Apr. 2026
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
Verb
The former senior employee, who kept the gold in his Virginia home, is also accused of lying about his military and educational background.
—Warren P. Strobel, Washington Post, 28 May 2026
In 2022, veteran homicide detective Phong Tran was accused of bribing a witness in a murder case and then lying about it.
—Jakob Rodgers, Mercury News, 28 May 2026
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass desperately wants Angelenos to trust her and not their lying eyes.
—Sal Rodriguez, Daily News, 28 May 2026
Police found a man with multiple gunshot wounds lying outside, between two apartments, and bullet casings nearby.
—Katie Langford, Denver Post, 28 May 2026
There was one still, an overhead shot of them all lying around the statue of Christ.
—Damon Wise, Deadline, 28 May 2026
The film begins with soldiers lying dead on a seashore, near bloody waters — a reminder of the catastrophic rehearsal for D-Day called Exercise Tiger, which resulted in hundreds of deaths of American servicemen.
—ABC News, 27 May 2026
In the transcript, the astronauts describe watching for the flashes while lying awake in the spacecraft.
—Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 22 May 2026
Prolonged heavy rain will result in ponding of water on roadways, standing water in low lying areas, and minor flooding of creeks and streams.
—Nc Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 22 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lying
Adjective
-
The tradeoff is real, and pretending otherwise would be dishonest.—
Alexander Puutio,
Forbes.com,
27 May 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.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
16 May 2026
Noun
-
Artificial intelligence is accelerating the problem by making deception faster, cheaper, and more scalable.—
Richard Torrenzano,
Fortune,
26 May 2026
-
Requiring multi‑person approval based on the type and impact of the request limits what deception can achieve under pressure.—
Steve Piper,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2026
Verb
-
In 2023, Newsom announced California's landmark lawsuit against major oil companies, accusing them of deceiving the public about climate change and linking fossil fuel emissions to worsening heat waves, droughts and devastating wildfires.—
Kenny Choi,
CBS News,
23 May 2026
-
He was also accused of deceiving escrow agents to secure the release of pre-construction condominium deposits and then misappropriated those funds for personal expenses unrelated to the developments.—
Jay Weaver,
Miami Herald,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
It is designed to make AI models more efficient, a major goal of the leading labs.—
Joseph Wilkins,
CNBC,
25 May 2026
-
And in April, Anna Eskamani, the Democratic state representative who is the leading candidate for Orlando Mayor next year, publicly endorsed the effort.—
Ryan Gillespie,
The Orlando Sentinel,
24 May 2026
Verb
-
Eager to elevate your outdoor space ahead of porch-sitting season?—
Olivia Young,
Travel + Leisure,
23 May 2026
-
The central bank’s monetary policy arm, the Federal Open Market Committee, sets rates based on current economic conditions and outlook, not the demands of a sitting president.—
Lucy Bayly,
CNN Money,
22 May 2026
Verb
-
If that bottle hiding in the back of your bar cart is dusty and doesn't taste the same, buy a fresh one.—
Kait Hanson,
Southern Living,
29 May 2026
-
If agreements, planning decisions or delays are hiding behind NDAs, the committee will demand answers.—
Quil Lawrence,
NPR,
28 May 2026
Adjective
-
Headline global inventory figures can be misleading as much of the oil stored worldwide cannot be used immediately, said Currie, Carlyle’s chief strategy officer of energy pathways and co-chairman of Abaxx Markets.—
Lee Ying Shan,
CNBC,
25 May 2026
-
Studies focusing on nutrients in beer can be misleading, as alcohol consumption carries significant health risks.—
Maggie O'Neill,
Verywell Health,
24 May 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
Cite this Entry
“Lying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lying. Accessed 29 May. 2026.
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