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
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 In the finale of Season 2, the women have gotten past the lying and scheming and are in a new and more honest place. Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 10 June 2026 Just needed his seat in Congress despite his lying and cheating, kind of like the guy sitting in the White House. Dp Opinion, Denver Post, 8 June 2026 Kandynn was convicted of first-degree murder, with a lying in wait special circumstance, according to the DA's office. Samira Asma-Sadeque, PEOPLE, 29 May 2026 His lying has finally caught up with him. Erin Moriarty, CBS News, 17 May 2026
Verb
After Malawi earned a red card and dropped to 10 players against Egypt on Saturday, Chinzimu’s deep-lying defensive efforts kept them in the match for a 3-1 victory. Tamerra Griffin, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026 Nobody tries to diagnose their own chest pain by lying still and concentrating harder. Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026 Reading someone’s brain during a real conversation is hard because the conventional method requires lying motionless inside an MRI scanner. Yigit Topoglu, The Conversation, 3 Aug. 2026 Far From Home is a perfect fit for the 2019 zeitgeist, considering that everyone in it is lying about everything all the time. Ew Staff, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Aug. 2026 Jor’Dell Richardson was lying face up on the ground with two officers restraining at least one of his hands when another officer shot him in the stomach. Shelly Bradbury, Denver Post, 3 Aug. 2026 The detective noted that Ramirez then appeared to get pulled under the vehicle, and then was lying motionless. Rachel Roberts, Idaho Statesman, 30 July 2026 Fauci’s decision to invoke the Fifth, at least for now, sidesteps calls for his prosecution if he is accused of lying at Wednesday’s hearing, part of a yearslong campaign for his arrest spearheaded by some Republicans in Congress. Lauran Neergaard, Los Angeles Times, 29 July 2026 Republicans also have accused Fauci of lying about whether his agency funded what’s known as gain-of-function research — the practice of enhancing a virus in a lab to study its potential real-world impact — at a lab in Wuhan. Lauran Neergaard, Fortune, 29 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lying
Adjective
  • There is an endless list of important takeaways from the new information, notably that Fauci was repeatedly and purposefully dishonest in order to get the public to comply with his policies and recommendations.
    Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 28 July 2026
  • But 52% of employees in that same study believe their company's efforts to be empathetic are dishonest.
    Dennis Kozak, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026
Noun
  • Recent history suggests that the only effective counter to such meddling is a public statement alerting voters to the deception, by some credibly neutral, nonpartisan authority.
    David D. Kirkpatrick, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Peter trying to have a normal holiday while grieving Tony, Mysterio’s deception, and the post-credits scene that blows Peter’s life apart — all of it feeds into where the new film finds him.
    Hannah Abraham, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Paul has long accused Fauci of deceiving Americans about the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic.
    Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 29 July 2026
  • All the wig and makeup work put into deceiving their people isn’t needed in the first place.
    Michael Ashley, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026
Verb
  • For context, the median private SaaS company generates about $141,000 of revenue per employee, while the leading AI-native companies are running at twenty times that or more.
    Michael Wee, Forbes.com, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Washington is in the midst of a record-setting statewide drought, leading the governor to issue a statewide burn ban on Saturday.
    Robbie Griffiths, NPR, 2 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Take turns with your husband sitting with the baby in the safe space, or even hire a (healthy) sitter to stay in the room with your son.
    Jeanne Phillips, Mercury News, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Nolan’s The Odyssey is close to crossing the $1 billion mark in the global box office, sitting at $911 million after three weekends.
    Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 4 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Pittsboro has neither beaches nor mountains, but don’t count it out as a relaxing getaway just yet; this small town is hiding a Relais & Châteaux inn, restaurant, and spa.
    Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Ligdis called emergency services to report his trespassing while hiding in the laundry room.
    Eleanor Jacobs, PEOPLE, 3 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • Spanish officials have blamed traffickers for spreading similar misleading information, and there is a growing suspicion that Moroccan authorities initially failed to stop the crowds, intentionally allowing the surge to grow.
    Conor Murray, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
  • Pruitt’s interest in opera is genuine, but the flourish is misleading.
    Carson Griffith, New Yorker, 30 July 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 5 Aug. 2026.

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