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
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Recent Examples of polygraph
The bureau also administers polygraphs to agents working on highly classified investigations and to agents accused of misconduct.
—
New York Times, 22 Jan. 2026
However, the prosecution argued that the matters the actor was asked about during the polygraph test were not what was at issue during the hearing, but rather whether he should be released as his case unfolds.
—Kimi Robinson, USA Today, 21 Jan. 2026
Extensive efforts made in the months since Lilly and Jack went missing have included a grid search of the woods surrounding their home, plus the use of cadaver dogs and polygraph examinations, according to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC).
—Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 18 Jan. 2026
Larry Stein, a lawyer for Busfield, said his client took and passed an independent polygraph examination related to the allegations.
—Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 15 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for polygraph
New York Times, 22 Jan. 2026
However, the prosecution argued that the matters the actor was asked about during the polygraph test were not what was at issue during the hearing, but rather whether he should be released as his case unfolds.
—Kimi Robinson, USA Today, 21 Jan. 2026
Extensive efforts made in the months since Lilly and Jack went missing have included a grid search of the woods surrounding their home, plus the use of cadaver dogs and polygraph examinations, according to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC).
—Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 18 Jan. 2026
Larry Stein, a lawyer for Busfield, said his client took and passed an independent polygraph examination related to the allegations.
—Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 15 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
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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
Cite this Entry
“Polygraph.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/polygraph. Accessed 11 Feb. 2026.
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