Thesaurus results for POLYGRAPH

polygraph

noun

ˈpä-lē-ˌgraf

as in lie detector

an instrument for detecting physical signs of the tension that goes with lying intelligence agents were trained to fool the polygraph

Synonyms & Similar Words

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lie detector

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 polygraph Still, to sit opposite him at a small table is just a bit like being hooked to a polygraph, despite his air of mannerly warmth. —

Fred Schruers, Rolling Stone, 26 Jan. 2026 Bob Atrops hired a lawyer a week after Debe's body was found and declined to take a polygraph. —

Sarah Prior, CBS News, 25 Jan. 2026 Ed Smart passed a polygraph test, and the remainder of Elizabeth’s relatives were cleared. —

Monica Mercuri, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026 The bureau also administers polygraphs to agents working on highly classified investigations and to agents accused of misconduct. —

New York Times, 22 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for polygraph

Recent Examples of Synonyms for polygraph

lie detector

Noun

Maury Povich spent decades at the center of one of daytime television’s most polarizing phenomena, presiding over paternity tests, lie detector results and the kind of raw confrontations that defined the height of ’90s talk TV.

— Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 28 Jan. 2026
Turning truth into a literal currency through a lie detector test feels perfectly aligned with this year’s theme.

— Annika Pham, Variety, 16 Jan. 2026