30 Idioms for Lying

From “bending the truth” to “tugging at heartstrings,” these idioms weave a rich tapestry of linguistic expressions that resonate with everyone.

In this article, we’ll embark on a journey through the labyrinth of lies, exploring the meanings behind each idiom and delving into how they manifest in everyday conversations.

30 idioms for lying

Idioms for Lying

Bend the Truth

Meaning: To not tell the whole truth, or to make it seem different than it really is.

In a Sentence: He always bends the truth when talking about his accomplishments, making them sound grander than they actually are.

Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire

Meaning: A phrase used to call someone a liar.

In a Sentence: Caught in the act, she blurted out, “Liar, liar, pants on fire!” as her friend attempted to cover up the truth.

Cry Wolf

Meaning: To lie about something to get someone’s attention.

In a Sentence: John decided to cry wolf about the broken coffee machine, hoping someone would fix it sooner.

Bluffing Your Way Through

Meaning: Pretending to know something when you don’t.

In a Sentence: In the meeting, Sarah was bluffing her way through the technical details, hoping no one would question her expertise.

Fibbing

Meaning: Telling a small lie.

In a Sentence: Instead of admitting he forgot, Tom resorted to fibbing about leaving the documents at home.

Lying Through Your Teeth

Meaning: Telling a lie with a straight face.

In a Sentence: She was lying through her teeth about her involvement in the prank, maintaining a poker face throughout the interrogation.

Paint a False Picture

Meaning: To give a misleading impression.

In a Sentence: His social media posts always paint a false picture of happiness, masking the struggles he faces behind the scenes.

Prevaricate

Meaning: To lie or deceive.

In a Sentence: The politician continued to prevaricate when confronted with evidence of his misconduct.

Pull the Wool Over Someone’s Eyes

Meaning: To deceive someone.

In a Sentence: She tried to pull the wool over her boss’s eyes by exaggerating her achievements in the quarterly report.

Spread a False Rumor

Meaning: To tell a lie about someone.

In a Sentence: Lisa regretted spreading a false rumor about her colleague, realizing the harm it caused.

Telling Tales Out of School

Meaning: To reveal a secret that was meant to be kept private.

In a Sentence: Mike found himself in trouble after telling tales out of school about the upcoming office restructuring.

Telling a White Lie

Meaning: A lie told to be polite or avoid hurting someone’s feelings.

In a Sentence: Knowing the dinner was terrible, she told a white lie, praising the chef to spare their feelings.

Throwing Someone Under the Bus

Meaning: Betraying someone to save oneself.

In a Sentence: When faced with consequences, he resorted to throwing his colleague under the bus to protect his own position.

Tug at the Heartstrings

Meaning: To use emotional appeals to deceive someone.

In a Sentence: The charity advertisement aimed to tug at the heartstrings, manipulating viewers into making donations.

Twist the Truth

Meaning: To distort the truth to mislead someone.

In a Sentence: Her attempts to twist the truth during the negotiation only led to distrust among the parties involved.

A Tall Tale

Meaning: A story that is obviously not true, often exaggerated or impossible.

In a Sentence: His explanation for the missing cookies seemed like a tall tale, involving aliens and a cookie abduction.

Bury the Hatchet

Meaning: To make peace, often by pretending that a conflict never happened.

In a Sentence: After years of rivalry, the two nations decided to bury the hatchet and forge a new alliance.

Call Someone’s Bluff

Meaning: To challenge someone to prove that they are telling the truth.

In a Sentence: Determined to uncover the truth, the detective decided to call the suspect’s bluff and request concrete evidence.

Dodge the Question

Meaning: To avoid answering a question, often by changing the subject or lying.

In a Sentence: During the press conference, the politician skillfully dodged the question about the controversial policy.

Fudge the Facts

Meaning: To manipulate or change the facts to deceive someone.

In a Sentence: The defendant attempted to fudge the facts during the trial, hoping to sway the jury in their favor.

Hedge Your Bets

Meaning: To avoid committing to one course of action, often by saying something open to interpretation.

In a Sentence: Not wanting to make promises, she decided to hedge her bets by giving vague responses.

Lead Someone On

Meaning: To give someone false hope or encouragement, often by pretending to be interested in them.

In a Sentence: Unaware of his true feelings, she felt guilty for unintentionally leading him on.

Make Up a Story

Meaning: To invent a lie or false narrative.

In a Sentence: Caught in a tight spot, he decided to make up a story about his whereabouts to avoid trouble.

Not Tell the Whole Truth

Meaning: To omit important details to deceive someone.

In a Sentence: Realizing the consequences, she chose to not tell the whole truth about her involvement in the project’s failure.

Put Up a Front

Meaning: To pretend to be something that you are not.

In a Sentence: In social gatherings, he would often put up a front of confidence, masking his insecurities.

Shade the Truth

Meaning: To distort the truth in a subtle or vague way.

In a Sentence: Instead of outright lying, she chose to shade the truth, leaving room for interpretation.

Sing a Different Tune

Meaning: To change your story or opinion, often because you were caught in a lie.

In a Sentence: Confronted with evidence, he had no choice but to sing a different tune about his involvement in the scandal.

Sugarcoat

Meaning: To present something in a more positive or acceptable way, often by hiding or minimizing the negative aspects.

In a Sentence: Knowing the bad news would be hard to swallow, he tried to sugarcoat it with a positive spin.

Tempt Fate

Meaning: To take unnecessary risks, often by pretending that danger does not exist.

In a Sentence: Ignoring the warning signs, she chose to tempt fate by venturing into the forest alone at night.

Whitewash

Meaning: To cover up or hide the truth, often by presenting a false or misleading version of events.

In a Sentence: The company attempted to whitewash its financial troubles, presenting a rosy picture to shareholders.

Summary

IdiomMeaning
Bend the TruthNot telling the whole truth or making it seem different than it really is.
Liar, Liar, Pants on FireA phrase used to call someone a liar.
Cry WolfLying about something to get someone’s attention.
Bluffing Your Way ThroughPretending to know something when you don’t.
FibbingTelling a small lie.
Lying Through Your TeethTelling a lie with a straight face.
Paint a False PictureGiving a misleading impression.
PrevaricateTo lie or deceive.
Pull the Wool Over Someone’s EyesDeceiving someone.
Spread a False RumorTelling a lie about someone.
Telling Tales Out of SchoolRevealing a secret that was meant to be kept private.
Telling a White LieA lie told to be polite or avoid hurting someone’s feelings.
Throwing Someone Under the BusBetraying someone to save oneself.
Tug at the HeartstringsUsing emotional appeals to deceive someone.
Twist the TruthDistorting the truth to mislead someone.
A Tall TaleA story that is obviously not true, often exaggerated or impossible.
Bury the HatchetMaking peace, often by pretending that a conflict never happened.
Call Someone’s BluffChallenging someone to prove that they are telling the truth.
Dodge the QuestionAvoiding answering a question, often by changing the subject or lying.
Fudge the FactsManipulating or changing the facts to deceive someone.
Hedge Your BetsAvoiding committing to one course of action, often by saying something open to interpretation.
Lead Someone OnGiving someone false hope or encouragement, often by pretending to be interested in them.
Make Up a StoryInventing a lie or false narrative.
Not Tell the Whole TruthOmitting important details to deceive someone.
Put Up a FrontPretending to be something that you are not.
Shade the TruthDistorting the truth in a subtle or vague way.
Sing a Different TuneChanging your story or opinion, often because you were caught in a lie.
SugarcoatPresenting something in a more positive or acceptable way, often by hiding or minimizing the negative aspects.
Tempt FateTaking unnecessary risks, often by pretending that danger does not exist.
WhitewashCovering up or hiding the truth, often by presenting a false or misleading version of events.

Conclusion

In the intricate dance of deception, these idioms offer a glimpse into the myriad ways people navigate truth and falsehood. From the playful “fibbing” to the sinister act of “lying through your teeth,” the English language paints a vivid portrait of the complex nature of lies.

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