We’ve all encountered someone who’s not being entirely truthful. Whether they’re stretching the truth, avoiding the facts, or spinning an elaborate tale, liars have inspired countless colorful expressions in the English language. These idioms capture everything from harmless white lies to bold-faced deceptions, giving us creative ways to call out dishonesty without being too direct.
Understanding these phrases not only enriches your vocabulary but also helps you recognize when someone might be pulling the wool over your eyes. Let’s explore 55 clever idioms that describe the art of lying in all its questionable glory.
1. Pull the wool over someone’s eyes
Meaning: To deceive or trick someone by hiding the truth from them.
In a Sentence: “He tried to pull the wool over his boss’s eyes by claiming he was sick, but she saw his vacation photos on social media.”
Other Ways to Say: Hoodwink someone, bamboozle someone, lead someone astray.
2. Bend the truth
Meaning: To distort facts slightly or tell a version of events that isn’t completely accurate.
In a Sentence: “She bent the truth about her qualifications on her resume, exaggerating her role at the previous company.”
Other Ways to Say: Stretch the truth, twist the facts, massage the truth.
3. Economical with the truth
Meaning: To withhold important information or give incomplete answers to mislead someone.
In a Sentence: “The politician was being economical with the truth when asked about campaign finances.”
Other Ways to Say: Selective with facts, withholding information, being evasive.
4. Spin a yarn
Meaning: To tell a long, elaborate, and often untrue story.
In a Sentence: “My uncle loves to spin a yarn about his fishing adventures, but we all know they’re exaggerated.”
Other Ways to Say: Tell a tall tale, weave a story, fabricate a narrative.
5. Tell a tall tale
Meaning: To recount a story that is exaggerated or completely fictional.
In a Sentence: “He told a tall tale about wrestling an alligator, which nobody believed for a second.”
Other Ways to Say: Spin a yarn, tell a whopper, tell a fish story.
6. Lie through one’s teeth
Meaning: To tell a blatant, obvious lie without any shame or hesitation.
In a Sentence: “She lied through her teeth when she said she hadn’t eaten the last piece of cake.”
Other Ways to Say: Lie boldly, tell a bare-faced lie, lie shamelessly.
7. Full of hot air
Meaning: Someone who talks a lot but says nothing truthful or meaningful.
In a Sentence: “Don’t believe his promises; he’s full of hot air and never follows through.”
Other Ways to Say: All talk and no action, full of it, blowing smoke.
8. Blow smoke
Meaning: To deliberately confuse or deceive someone with misleading statements.
In a Sentence: “The salesman was just blowing smoke when he claimed the car had never been in an accident.”
Other Ways to Say: Pull the wool over someone’s eyes, feed someone a line, mislead someone.
9. Feed someone a line
Meaning: To tell someone something false or misleading, often to gain an advantage.
In a Sentence: “He fed her a line about being a successful entrepreneur when he was actually unemployed.”
Other Ways to Say: Give someone a story, spin a tale, sell someone a bill of goods.
10. Sell someone a bill of goods
Meaning: To persuade someone to accept something false or worthless through deception.
In a Sentence: “They sold us a bill of goods about the investment being risk-free.”
Other Ways to Say: Con someone, deceive someone, mislead someone.
11. Pull a fast one
Meaning: To trick or deceive someone through clever or underhanded means.
In a Sentence: “He tried to pull a fast one by switching the price tags at the store.”
Other Ways to Say: Put one over on someone, trick someone, outsmart someone dishonestly.
12. Cook the books
Meaning: To falsify financial records or documents to deceive others.
In a Sentence: “The accountant was caught cooking the books to hide the company’s losses.”
Other Ways to Say: Falsify records, manipulate accounts, doctor the numbers.
13. Give someone a snow job
Meaning: To overwhelm someone with elaborate lies or misleading information.
In a Sentence: “The contractor gave us a snow job about why the project was delayed.”
Other Ways to Say: Bamboozle someone, deceive with charm, smooth-talk someone.
14. Take someone for a ride
Meaning: To deceive or cheat someone, often leaving them at a disadvantage.
In a Sentence: “That mechanic took me for a ride by charging for repairs that weren’t necessary.”
Other Ways to Say: Con someone, swindle someone, rip someone off.
15. Pull someone’s leg
Meaning: To tease or joke with someone by telling them something untrue in a playful way.
In a Sentence: “I’m just pulling your leg—I didn’t actually meet a celebrity at the grocery store.”
Other Ways to Say: Kid around with someone, tease someone, joke with someone.
16. Lead someone down the garden path
Meaning: To deceive someone by leading them to believe something false over time.
In a Sentence: “He led her down the garden path with promises of marriage that he never intended to keep.”
Other Ways to Say: String someone along, mislead someone, deceive someone gradually.
17. Cry crocodile tears
Meaning: To display fake sadness or remorse while being insincere.
In a Sentence: “She cried crocodile tears at the funeral of the relative she never liked.”
Other Ways to Say: Fake sympathy, feign emotion, show false remorse.
18. Smoke and mirrors
Meaning: Deceptive or misleading actions designed to obscure the truth.
In a Sentence: “The company’s financial presentation was all smoke and mirrors to hide their debt.”
Other Ways to Say: Trickery, deception, illusion and misdirection.
19. Not tell the whole story
Meaning: To omit crucial information to create a misleading impression.
In a Sentence: “He didn’t tell the whole story about why he was fired from his last job.”
Other Ways to Say: Leave out details, be economical with the truth, tell half-truths.
20. Speak with a forked tongue
Meaning: To say one thing while meaning another; to be deceitful in speech.
In a Sentence: “That politician speaks with a forked tongue, promising change but delivering nothing.”
Other Ways to Say: Be two-faced, speak falsely, be duplicitous.
21. Butter wouldn’t melt in one’s mouth
Meaning: To appear innocent while actually being deceitful or dishonest.
In a Sentence: “She acts like butter wouldn’t melt in her mouth, but I know she started the rumor.”
Other Ways to Say: Act innocent, feign innocence, pretend to be angelic.
22. Sweep something under the rug
Meaning: To hide something dishonest or embarrassing rather than address it.
In a Sentence: “The company tried to sweep the scandal under the rug instead of being transparent.”
Other Ways to Say: Cover something up, hide the truth, conceal wrongdoing.
23. Pull the other one
Meaning: An expression of disbelief when someone tells an obvious lie.
In a Sentence: “You won the lottery? Pull the other one—I know you’re joking.”
Other Ways to Say: I don’t believe you, you’re kidding, tell me another one.
24. Talk out of both sides of one’s mouth
Meaning: To say contradictory things to different people; to be inconsistent and dishonest.
In a Sentence: “He talks out of both sides of his mouth, telling customers one thing and management another.”
Other Ways to Say: Be two-faced, speak with a forked tongue, be hypocritical.
25. Whitewash something
Meaning: To cover up wrongdoing or present it in a more favorable light than it deserves.
In a Sentence: “The report whitewashed the CEO’s misconduct to protect the company’s reputation.”
Other Ways to Say: Cover up, gloss over, sugarcoat the truth.
26. Stretch the truth
Meaning: To exaggerate or embellish facts to make a story more impressive or favorable.
In a Sentence: “He stretched the truth about his role in the project to impress the interviewer.”
Other Ways to Say: Bend the truth, exaggerate, embellish the facts.
27. Tell a white lie
Meaning: To tell a harmless or small lie, usually to avoid hurting someone’s feelings.
In a Sentence: “I told a white lie and said I liked her haircut, even though it didn’t suit her.”
Other Ways to Say: Tell a fib, tell a little lie, be politely dishonest.
28. Lay it on thick
Meaning: To exaggerate praise or information to the point of being dishonest or insincere.
In a Sentence: “He was laying it on thick with compliments, obviously trying to get a favor.”
Other Ways to Say: Overdo it, exaggerate, pile it on.
29. Talk a blue streak
Meaning: To talk rapidly and continuously, often while being deceptive or evasive.
In a Sentence: “When confronted, he talked a blue streak to avoid answering the real question.”
Other Ways to Say: Talk nonstop, ramble on, jabber away.
30. Put up a smoke screen
Meaning: To create confusion or distraction to hide the truth.
In a Sentence: “He put up a smoke screen by bringing up irrelevant issues during the investigation.”
Other Ways to Say: Create a distraction, muddy the waters, obscure the truth.
31. Blow hot and cold
Meaning: To be inconsistent or contradictory, saying different things at different times.
In a Sentence: “She blows hot and cold about the project, supporting it one day and opposing it the next.”
Other Ways to Say: Be inconsistent, waver, flip-flop.
32. Paint a false picture
Meaning: To describe something in a way that is misleading or untrue.
In a Sentence: “The advertisement painted a false picture of what the resort actually looked like.”
Other Ways to Say: Misrepresent something, give a false impression, deceive through description.
33. Tell porkies
Meaning: British slang for telling lies, derived from rhyming slang “pork pies.”
In a Sentence: “Stop telling porkies—I know you didn’t finish your homework.”
Other Ways to Say: Tell lies, fib, be dishonest.
34. String someone along
Meaning: To deceive someone by encouraging false hopes over an extended period.
In a Sentence: “He strung her along for months, pretending he wanted a relationship.”
Other Ways to Say: Lead someone on, mislead someone, give false hope.
35. Hide behind a facade
Meaning: To present a false appearance to conceal the truth.
In a Sentence: “She hides behind a facade of happiness, but she’s actually struggling.”
Other Ways to Say: Put on a front, wear a mask, maintain false appearances.
36. Have something up one’s sleeve
Meaning: To have a hidden plan or secret, often involving deception.
In a Sentence: “He’s being too quiet—I think he has something up his sleeve.”
Other Ways to Say: Have a hidden agenda, have a secret plan, be plotting something.
37. Play false
Meaning: To be disloyal or deceitful in one’s actions.
In a Sentence: “He played false with his business partner by secretly negotiating with competitors.”
Other Ways to Say: Be disloyal, betray trust, act treacherously.
38. Give someone the runaround
Meaning: To deliberately evade or mislead someone, often with excuses and delays.
In a Sentence: “Customer service gave me the runaround when I tried to get a refund.”
Other Ways to Say: Avoid someone, give excuses, be evasive.
39. Wear two faces
Meaning: To be duplicitous, showing different personas to different people.
In a Sentence: “She wears two faces—friendly to your face but critical behind your back.”
Other Ways to Say: Be two-faced, be duplicitous, be hypocritical.
40. Make something up out of whole cloth
Meaning: To fabricate something entirely; to create a complete fiction.
In a Sentence: “His alibi was made up out of whole cloth—nothing he said could be verified.”
Other Ways to Say: Fabricate completely, invent from nothing, create a total fiction.
41. Gild the lily
Meaning: To embellish or exaggerate something that doesn’t need improvement, often dishonestly.
In a Sentence: “She gilded the lily by adding fictional details to an already impressive story.”
Other Ways to Say: Embellish unnecessarily, over-exaggerate, add false flourishes.
42. Throw someone off the scent
Meaning: To mislead someone to prevent them from discovering the truth.
In a Sentence: “He threw the detectives off the scent by creating a fake trail of evidence.”
Other Ways to Say: Mislead someone, create a diversion, misdirect attention.
43. Live a lie
Meaning: To present a false version of oneself or one’s circumstances continuously.
In a Sentence: “He lived a lie for years, pretending to have a successful business that didn’t exist.”
Other Ways to Say: Lead a double life, maintain a false identity, live in deception.
44. Tell a fib
Meaning: To tell a small or minor lie, usually considered less serious than a full lie.
In a Sentence: “She told a fib about her age when filling out the form.”
Other Ways to Say: Tell a white lie, stretch the truth slightly, tell a little untruth.
45. Peddle lies
Meaning: To spread or promote falsehoods, often persistently or for personal gain.
In a Sentence: “That website peddles lies and conspiracy theories to generate traffic.”
Other Ways to Say: Spread falsehoods, promote lies, disseminate misinformation.
46. Cover one’s tracks
Meaning: To conceal evidence of one’s actions, especially wrongdoing.
In a Sentence: “The thief covered his tracks by deleting the security camera footage.”
Other Ways to Say: Hide evidence, erase proof, conceal wrongdoing.
47. Tell it like it isn’t
Meaning: To deliberately misrepresent reality or present false information as fact.
In a Sentence: “The spokesperson told it like it isn’t, denying problems that clearly existed.”
Other Ways to Say: Misrepresent reality, distort the truth, present falsehoods as facts.
48. Bear false witness
Meaning: To provide untrue testimony or make dishonest accusations about someone.
In a Sentence: “He bore false witness against his colleague to advance his own career.”
Other Ways to Say: Give false testimony, lie under oath, make false accusations.
49. Put on an act
Meaning: To pretend or behave in a way that is false or deceptive.
In a Sentence: “She was putting on an act of being interested, but she was clearly bored.”
Other Ways to Say: Pretend, feign behavior, play a role.
50. Build castles in the air
Meaning: To make unrealistic or false promises; to create fantasies presented as reality.
In a Sentence: “He’s always building castles in the air with his get-rich-quick schemes.”
Other Ways to Say: Make empty promises, create pipe dreams, promise the impossible.
51. Sell someone a lemon
Meaning: To deceive someone by selling them something worthless or defective.
In a Sentence: “The dealer sold me a lemon—the car broke down within a week.”
Other Ways to Say: Cheat someone, swindle someone, pass off something defective.
52. Dupe someone
Meaning: To trick or deceive someone into believing something false.
In a Sentence: “The scammer duped elderly victims into giving away their savings.”
Other Ways to Say: Trick someone, fool someone, deceive someone.
53. Embroider the truth
Meaning: To add fictional or exaggerated details to a story to make it more interesting.
In a Sentence: “He embroidered the truth about his military service, making it sound more heroic.”
Other Ways to Say: Embellish the facts, exaggerate details, add fictional elements.
54. Put on a false front
Meaning: To present a deceptive appearance or personality to hide the truth.
In a Sentence: “The company put on a false front of financial stability before declaring bankruptcy.”
Other Ways to Say: Present a facade, maintain false appearances, create a deceptive image.
55. Bamboozle someone
Meaning: To confuse or trick someone through deception, often in a clever way.
In a Sentence: “The magician bamboozled the audience with his seemingly impossible tricks.”
Other Ways to Say: Trick someone, fool someone, hoodwink someone.
Quiz: Idioms for Lying in Conversation
Test your knowledge of the idioms from the article! Choose the best answer for each question.
Question 1: What does “pull the wool over someone’s eyes” mean?
A) To comfort someone with kind words B) To deceive or trick someone by hiding the truth C) To help someone see clearly D) To cover someone with a blanket
Answer: B) To deceive or trick someone by hiding the truth
Question 2: Which idiom means to tell a long, elaborate, and often untrue story?
A) Spin a yarn B) Pull someone’s leg C) Cook the books D) Cry crocodile tears
Answer: A) Spin a yarn
Question 3: “Lie through one’s teeth” refers to:
A) Having dental problems while speaking B) Telling a blatant, obvious lie without shame C) Whispering secrets D) Speaking with food in your mouth
Answer: B) Telling a blatant, obvious lie without shame
Question 4: What does it mean when someone is “full of hot air”?
A) They’re feeling confident and energetic B) They talk a lot but say nothing truthful or meaningful C) They’re very warm and friendly D) They have breathing difficulties
Answer: B) They talk a lot but say nothing truthful or meaningful
Question 5: “Cook the books” is an idiom that means:
A) To prepare a meal from a recipe book B) To organize a library C) To falsify financial records or documents D) To write a cookbook
Answer: C) To falsify financial records or documents
Question 6: Which idiom means to tease someone by telling them something untrue in a playful way?
A) Pull someone’s leg B) Pull a fast one C) Pull the other one D) Pull the wool over someone’s eyes
Answer: A) Pull someone’s leg
Question 7: “Cry crocodile tears” means to:
A) Cry very loudly B) Display fake sadness or remorse while being insincere C) Cry because of an animal D) Shed tears of joy
Answer: B) Display fake sadness or remorse while being insincere
Question 8: What does “smoke and mirrors” refer to?
A) A magic show B) Deceptive or misleading actions designed to obscure the truth C) A fire hazard D) Reflective surfaces
Answer: B) Deceptive or misleading actions designed to obscure the truth
Question 9: To “speak with a forked tongue” means to:
A) Have a speech impediment B) Speak multiple languages C) Say one thing while meaning another; be deceitful D) Speak very quickly
Answer: C) Say one thing while meaning another; be deceitful
Question 10: Which idiom means to appear innocent while actually being deceitful?
A) Sweet as honey B) Butter wouldn’t melt in one’s mouth C) Cool as a cucumber D) Smooth as silk
Answer: B) Butter wouldn’t melt in one’s mouth
Question 11: “Sweep something under the rug” means to:
A) Clean your house thoroughly B) Hide something dishonest or embarrassing rather than address it C) Organize your belongings D) Remove dust from furniture
Answer: B) Hide something dishonest or embarrassing rather than address it
Question 12: What does “talk out of both sides of one’s mouth” mean?
A) To mumble B) To say contradictory things to different people C) To speak two languages D) To talk while eating
Answer: B) To say contradictory things to different people
Question 13: “Stretch the truth” refers to:
A) Making a story longer B) Exaggerating or embellishing facts C) Telling the exact truth D) Speaking loudly
Answer: B) Exaggerating or embellishing facts
Question 14: A “white lie” is:
A) A lie written in white ink B) A very serious lie C) A harmless or small lie to avoid hurting feelings D) A lie told in winter
Answer: C) A harmless or small lie to avoid hurting feelings
Question 15: “Lay it on thick” means to:
A) Apply paint generously B) Exaggerate praise or information to the point of being insincere C) Spread butter heavily D) Work very hard
Answer: B) Exaggerate praise or information to the point of being insincere
Question 16: What does “string someone along” mean?
A) To teach someone to play guitar B) To walk beside someone C) To deceive someone by encouraging false hopes over time D) To tie someone up
Answer: C) To deceive someone by encouraging false hopes over time
Question 17: “Tell porkies” is British slang for:
A) Discussing meat products B) Telling lies C) Talking about food D) Being hungry
Answer: B) Telling lies
Question 18: What does “give someone the runaround” mean?
A) To exercise with someone B) To deliberately evade or mislead someone with excuses C) To chase after someone D) To give someone directions
Answer: B) To deliberately evade or mislead someone with excuses
Question 19: “Make something up out of whole cloth” means to:
A) Sew a complete garment B) Fabricate something entirely; create a complete fiction C) Purchase fabric D) Repair clothing
Answer: B) Fabricate something entirely; create a complete fiction
Question 20: What does “throw someone off the scent” mean?
A) To use perfume B) To confuse a hunting dog C) To mislead someone to prevent them from discovering the truth D) To remove a bad smell
Answer: C) To mislead someone to prevent them from discovering the truth
Question 21: “Live a lie” means to:
A) Exist in a fictional world B) Present a false version of oneself continuously C) Read fictional stories D) Tell one lie
Answer: B) Present a false version of oneself continuously
Question 22: What does “cover one’s tracks” mean?
A) To wear shoes B) To walk carefully C) To conceal evidence of one’s actions, especially wrongdoing D) To follow a path
Answer: C) To conceal evidence of one’s actions, especially wrongdoing
Question 23: “Bear false witness” means to:
A) See a wild animal B) Provide untrue testimony or make dishonest accusations C) Carry something heavy D) Watch something happen
Answer: B) Provide untrue testimony or make dishonest accusations
Question 24: What does “sell someone a lemon” mean?
A) To work at a fruit stand B) To make lemonade for someone C) To deceive someone by selling them something worthless D) To give someone citrus fruit
Answer: C) To deceive someone by selling them something worthless
Question 25: “Bamboozle someone” means to:
A) To dance with someone B) To confuse or trick someone through deception C) To celebrate with someone D) To play music for someone
Answer: B) To confuse or trick someone through deception
Tony James is a skilled writer with over 5 years of experience specializing in the “noun” niche. He delves deep into the intricacies of language, exploring the significance and usage of nouns in everyday communication. Tony’s work simplifies complex linguistic concepts, making them accessible and engaging for readers of all backgrounds.