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.

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
Idiom | Meaning |
---|---|
Bend the Truth | Not telling the whole truth or making it seem different than it really is. |
Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire | A phrase used to call someone a liar. |
Cry Wolf | Lying about something to get someone’s attention. |
Bluffing Your Way Through | Pretending to know something when you don’t. |
Fibbing | Telling a small lie. |
Lying Through Your Teeth | Telling a lie with a straight face. |
Paint a False Picture | Giving a misleading impression. |
Prevaricate | To lie or deceive. |
Pull the Wool Over Someone’s Eyes | Deceiving someone. |
Spread a False Rumor | Telling a lie about someone. |
Telling Tales Out of School | Revealing a secret that was meant to be kept private. |
Telling a White Lie | A lie told to be polite or avoid hurting someone’s feelings. |
Throwing Someone Under the Bus | Betraying someone to save oneself. |
Tug at the Heartstrings | Using emotional appeals to deceive someone. |
Twist the Truth | Distorting the truth to mislead someone. |
A Tall Tale | A story that is obviously not true, often exaggerated or impossible. |
Bury the Hatchet | Making peace, often by pretending that a conflict never happened. |
Call Someone’s Bluff | Challenging someone to prove that they are telling the truth. |
Dodge the Question | Avoiding answering a question, often by changing the subject or lying. |
Fudge the Facts | Manipulating or changing the facts to deceive someone. |
Hedge Your Bets | Avoiding committing to one course of action, often by saying something open to interpretation. |
Lead Someone On | Giving someone false hope or encouragement, often by pretending to be interested in them. |
Make Up a Story | Inventing a lie or false narrative. |
Not Tell the Whole Truth | Omitting important details to deceive someone. |
Put Up a Front | Pretending to be something that you are not. |
Shade the Truth | Distorting the truth in a subtle or vague way. |
Sing a Different Tune | Changing your story or opinion, often because you were caught in a lie. |
Sugarcoat | Presenting something in a more positive or acceptable way, often by hiding or minimizing the negative aspects. |
Tempt Fate | Taking unnecessary risks, often by pretending that danger does not exist. |
Whitewash | Covering 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.