Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective untruthful differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of untruthful are deceitful, dishonest, and mendacious. While all these words mean "unworthy of trust or belief," untruthful stresses a discrepancy between what is said and fact or reality.

an untruthful account of their actions

When is deceitful a more appropriate choice than untruthful?

The words deceitful and untruthful are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, deceitful usually implies an intent to mislead and commonly suggests a false appearance or double-dealing.

the secret affairs of a deceitful spouse

When would dishonest be a good substitute for untruthful?

While the synonyms dishonest and untruthful are close in meaning, dishonest implies a willful perversion of truth in order to deceive, cheat, or defraud.

a swindle usually involves two dishonest people

When might mendacious be a better fit than untruthful?

While in some cases nearly identical to untruthful, mendacious may suggest bland or even harmlessly mischievous deceit and when used of people often suggests a habit of telling untruths.

mendacious tales of adventure

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 untruthful However, Miranda, Assad, and Arroyo routinely failed in their obligations to cooperate with the investigation by delaying responses, refusing to provide certain information or documents, and providing inconsistent or untruthful responses. Chris Deubert, Forbes, 19 Nov. 2024 On Wednesday, the defense attacked Marquez’s credibility, questioning his motives for cooperating with the FBI and grilling him over episodes in his background that might paint him as untruthful. Megan Crepeau, Chicago Tribune, 13 Nov. 2024 What is more untruthful: A thing written down, or a sustained deception of the heart? Nicolette Polek, Harper's Magazine, 2 July 2024 President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw the United States from the Paris climate agreement on June 1 was terribly misguided, and his justification for doing so was misleading and untruthful. Robert N. Stavins, Foreign Affairs, 5 June 2017 See All Example Sentences for untruthful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for untruthful
Adjective
  • Bowlin told the Statesman that alert was created by crews working in the area, leading to an erroneous message uploading to the system.
    Nicole Blanchard, Idaho Statesman, 20 Oct. 2025
  • Some were hastily informed that their firings were erroneous, but the experience rattled the CDC, an agency tasked with overseeing the national response to seasonal respiratory illnesses at a time when those illnesses typically spike.
    Michael Hiltzik, Twin Cities, 16 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • He has been criticized for making unscientific and misleading statements, including COVID-19 misinformation and promoting conspiracy theories, and affirming antisemitic, racist, and transphobic comments.
    Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 28 Oct. 2025
  • Murphy said that’s misleading because many incidents never make it into official statistics.
    Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 28 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • The top issue was inaccurate or misleading results (39%), followed by a lack of context understanding (23%), and biased or inappropriate outputs (8%).
    John Kell, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2025
  • As a result, Aspiration’s financial statements were inaccurate and reflected much higher revenue than the company in fact received, according to prosecutors.
    City News Service, Oc Register, 21 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Matthiessen, not without reason, portrays the Bureau as paranoid, dishonest, and in league with corporate interests.
    Maggie Doherty, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2025
  • For that incredibly dishonest assessment that actually did a disservice to the country, Obama is held up to widespread praise by Democrats and others, even winning the Nobel Peace Prize in 2009.
    Joe Battenfeld, Boston Herald, 11 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • An earlier version of this story contained incorrect information, and the story has been updated.
    Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 24 Oct. 2025
  • Terrebonne resident Emmanuelle Bossé told public broadcaster CBC Radio-Canada in May her ballot was returned to sender because of an incorrect postal code on the return envelope provided by the national elections commission.
    Lex Harvey, CNN Money, 22 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • At Comedy Central, Colbert rose to prominence playing a slightly exaggerated version of Bill O’Reilly and other unapologetically mendacious Fox News pundits from the George W. Bush years.
    Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 18 July 2025
  • The true story reveals both how freedom of speech first came to be conceived of as a mechanism for truth, an antidote to falsehood, and the foundation of all liberty—and that, ironically, this new and powerful theory was itself a deliberately mendacious fiction.
    Fara Dabhoiwala, Harpers Magazine, 4 June 2025
Adjective
  • Watters said letting visitors toss vegetables through the fence could send the wrong message, normalizing the idea of being close enough to feed a bear.
    Quinn Clark, jsonline.com, 27 Oct. 2025
  • New York Giants star rookie running back Cam Skattebo was the talk of the NFL world on Sunday for all the wrong reasons after going down with what appears to be a season-ending leg or ankle injury in the team's Week 8 game against the Philadelphia Eagles.
    Reice Shipley, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Several residents who work in the Georgia King Village area weighed in on the incident, including Harriette Guity, who told News12 that false reports based on AI could stretch first responders thin.
    Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 25 Oct. 2025
  • Archaeologists concluded the structure was actually a false tomb, or a cenotaph, a type of burial monument erected to honor a deceased person buried elsewhere.
    Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 24 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Untruthful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/untruthful. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.

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