UNTRUTH Synonyms: 94 Similar and Opposite Words

untruth

noun

ˌən-ˈtrüth

Definition of untruth

as in delusion

a false idea or belief their argument rests on a fundamental untruth which has long been discredited

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

truth
verity

as in lie

a statement known by its maker to be untrue and made in order to deceive the Web site is rife with untruths and misleading information

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in deception

the quality or state of being false there is an element of untruth in all forms of art: works of art provide only a semblance of reality

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 untruth But in the popular imagination, untruths persist that should be corrected. — The Week Us, TheWeek, 3 June 2026 We were lied on in our statement and lied on again, and even in the apology, there was untruth. — Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 20 Feb. 2026 Most of the papers featuring naked women and naked untruths belonged to Rupert Murdoch. — Andrew O’Hagan, New Yorker, 2 Feb. 2026 His newest book makes such fact-finding a key theme, demonstrating the instability of a political system grounded in untruth—and investigating how populist leaders can wield that for their own ends. — Robert Rubsam, The Atlantic, 18 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for untruth

Recent Examples of Synonyms for untruth

Noun

The Mayo Clinic defines the mental health condition as typically marked by hallucinations, delusions, depression, and mania.

— Leigh Blickley, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Sep. 2026
Hill became increasingly paranoid and developed delusions that she was being surveilled.

— Rebecca White, New York Daily News, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of delusion

Noun

There was money, manipulation, secret meetings with shady characters in China, fake identities, lies, trickery, and deceit.

— Eamon Javers, CNBC, 30 Sep. 2026
During that time, German intelligence would question the Sparrows, giving Duke an opportunity to sell the lie.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of lie

Noun

Magpies are opportunistic scavengers, incredibly cunning and deceitful and capable of calculated deception.

— Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 28 Sep. 2026
This experience combines identity deception, autonomous agent action and software supply-chain risk, along with social engineering devised by an agent and directed against a human.

— Carlo Tortora Brayda, Forbes.com, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of deception

Noun

After decades of perspective-shifting literary retellings like Wide Sargasso Sea and The Mists of Avalon and the current trend of feminist Greek myths, Cathy is an enigma begging for some traumatic backstory to staple her flaws together.

— Kathryn VanArendonk, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2026
Some myths about private capital persist for small-business owners, especially around what an investment actually means for a company.

— Frank Williamson, Forbes.com, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of myth

Noun

The play is a gently unfolding, calmly delivered tale of the decades of horrors endured by a real-life person named Eddie Jaku.

— Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 2 Oct. 2026
And for Netflix, Bayona helmed Society of the Snow, a drama based on the true-life tale of the Uruguayan 1972 Andes flight disaster.

— Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of tale

Noun

Of course, the retort is that this would be irritating and exasperating to be continually deluged with alerts about AI deceptiveness.

— Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 24 Aug. 2025
Beyond the deceptiveness of the narrow material view, spiritual light and hope are always present to be found and felt.

— Sue Brightman, Christian Science Monitor, 3 Jan. 2025

Definition of deceptiveness

Noun

But recent Ukrainian drone strikes on Russia’s oil refineries have led to widespread fuel shortages, shattering the illusion that the consequences of the conflict are far removed from ordinary Russians.

— Zahra Ullah, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2026
Use your illusion Hancock and his team combined multiple lines of evidence to test their hypothesis that the colorful wing patterns of butterflies served as a form of motion dazzle.

— Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of illusion

Noun

There was a period where airspace was closed in the Gulf after the Iran conflict began, and then questions about whether the region’s growth story would be interrupted.

— Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 2 Oct. 2026
In the end, creation stories feels a bit like an internal pep talk for which an audience didn’t necessarily need to be present.

— Sara Holdren, Vulture, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of story

Cite this Entry

Style

“Untruth.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/untruth. Accessed 5 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of untruth

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

perseverate

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes