Idioms for lying help us describe dishonesty in ways that are sharper than the lie itself.
Whether it’s a polite fib or a twisted tale, we often struggle to name deceit clearly. That’s where language steps in—with phrases that reveal the masks, misdirections, and half-truths hiding in plain sight.
This list uncovers 50 vivid idioms for lying—so you can call it out, understand it, or simply add more punch to your storytelling.
Best Idioms for Lying
1. A lie has no legs
Meaning: A lie cannot stand or survive long because it lacks truth to support it.
In a Sentence:
He told so many stories, but in the end, a lie has no legs.
People started seeing through his false claims.
Other Ways to Say: Barefaced lie, Straight-up lie, Bald-faced lie
2. Lie through your teeth
Meaning: To lie boldly and without remorse.
In a Sentence:
She lied through her teeth when she said she hadn’t seen the email.
Everyone knew she was covering something up.
Other Ways to Say: Bold-faced lie, Lied to my face, Full of hot air
3. Barefaced liar
Meaning: Someone who lies openly and shamelessly.
In a Sentence:
He’s a bare-faced liar—you can’t believe anything he says.
Even when caught, he doesn’t blink.
Other Ways to Say: Bald-faced lie, Shameless liar, Lie like a rug
4. Lied to my face
Meaning: To lie directly to someone while looking them in the eyes.
In a Sentence:
I can’t believe she lied to my face about where she was last night.
The betrayal was more painful than the lie itself.
Other Ways to Say: Straight-up lie, Lie through your teeth, Two-faced
5. Full of hot air
Meaning: Saying exaggerated or untrue things, often to impress or deceive.
In a Sentence:
He talks a big game, but he’s just full of hot air.
None of his promises ever come true.
Other Ways to Say: All talk, Pants on fire, Bluff
6. Pants on fire
Meaning: A playful or exaggerated way to say someone is lying.
In a Sentence:
Do you really expect me to believe that? Liar, liar, pants on fire!
It’s the classic line when kids get caught in a fib.
Other Ways to Say: Full of hot air, Straight-up lie, Fib
7. Straight-up lie
Meaning: A completely false statement with no attempt to hide its dishonesty.
In a Sentence:
That was a straight-up lie and he knew it.
There wasn’t even a hint of truth in his explanation.
Other Ways to Say: Lied to my face, Lie through your teeth, Bald-faced lie
8. Lie like a rug
Meaning: A humorous or sarcastic way to say someone lies constantly.
In a Sentence:
He lies like a rug—you can’t trust a word he says.
Even when the truth would help him, he still lies.
Other Ways to Say: Barefaced liar, Full of hot air, Shameless deceiver
9. Bald-faced lie
Meaning: A brazen and obvious lie, similar to a bare-faced lie.
In a Sentence:
That was a bald-faced lie, and everyone in the room knew it.
He didn’t even try to make it believable.
Other Ways to Say: Barefaced lie, Lie through your teeth, Straight-up lie
10. Caught red-handed
Meaning: To be discovered in the act of doing something wrong, especially lying.
In a Sentence:
He was caught red-handed sneaking out with the documents.
There was no way to deny it after that.
Other Ways to Say: Exposed, Caught in a lie, The mask slipped
11. Spin a yarn
Meaning: To tell a long, imaginative, and often exaggerated story that may not be true.
In a Sentence:
He spun a yarn about being lost in the mountains for days.
It was entertaining—but clearly made up.
Other Ways to Say: Make up a story, Fabricate, Tell tall tales
12. Bend the truth
Meaning: To slightly change or distort the truth without fully lying.
In a Sentence:
She bent the truth about why she was late.
Not a full lie, but definitely not honest either.
Other Ways to Say: Stretch the truth, White lie, Mislead
13. Stretch the truth
Meaning: To exaggerate or embellish facts to make something sound more dramatic.
In a Sentence:
He stretched the truth when describing the size of the fish he caught.
It was more fiction than fact.
Other Ways to Say: Bend the truth, Embellish, Exaggerate
14. Sugarcoat the truth
Meaning: To make something unpleasant seem more palatable by softening the truth.
In a Sentence:
She sugarcoated the truth about his performance to avoid hurting his feelings.
It sounded nice—but wasn’t entirely honest.
Other Ways to Say: Soften the blow, Spin it, Downplay
15. Pull the wool over someone’s eyes
Meaning: To deceive or trick someone, especially by hiding the truth.
In a Sentence:
He pulled the wool over their eyes with that fake charity.
They never saw the scam coming.
Other Ways to Say: Deceive, Mislead, Trick
Related Post: 50 Book-Related Idioms for Reading Fans
16. Smoke and mirrors
Meaning: A deceptive or misleading explanation that hides the real truth.
In a Sentence:
Their report was all smoke and mirrors—it said a lot but meant nothing.
It was designed to distract, not clarify.
Other Ways to Say: Disguise, Illusion, Cover-up
17. Not telling the whole truth
Meaning: To leave out key facts or details while pretending to be honest.
In a Sentence:
He wasn’t lying, but he wasn’t telling the whole truth either.
It was misleading by omission.
Other Ways to Say: Selective honesty, Half-truth, Withhold
18. Cover up
Meaning: To hide the truth, especially to avoid blame or consequences.
In a Sentence:
They tried to cover up the mistake before the boss noticed.
The truth eventually came out.
Other Ways to Say: Conceal, Hide, Suppress
19. Twist the facts
Meaning: To deliberately distort information to suit one’s own goals.
In a Sentence:
He twisted the facts to make himself look innocent.
The truth became unrecognizable.
Other Ways to Say: Manipulate the truth, Misrepresent, Skew
20. Play fast and loose with the facts
Meaning: To handle facts carelessly or dishonestly, often to deceive.
In a Sentence:
That politician plays fast and loose with the facts.
He says whatever benefits him most.
Other Ways to Say: Distort, Mislead, Be dishonest
21. White lie
Meaning: A small or harmless lie told to avoid hurting someone or to be polite.
In a Sentence:
I told a white lie about loving her cooking.
It wasn’t true, but it saved her feelings.
Other Ways to Say: Polite lie, Soft lie, Minor untruth
22. Fib
Meaning: A minor or silly lie, especially used by or with children.
In a Sentence:
He told a fib about brushing his teeth.
It was harmless—but still not the truth.
Other Ways to Say: White lie, Small lie, Innocent falsehood
23. Little white lie
Meaning: A harmless or trivial lie, especially one told to avoid hurting someone.
In a Sentence:
She told a little white lie about why she missed the party.
It was easier than explaining the real reason.
Other Ways to Say: White lie, Kind lie, Gentle excuse
24. Harmless bluff
Meaning: A lie meant to protect, distract, or lightly mislead without real harm.
In a Sentence:
His harmless bluff convinced the kids there were vegetables in the cookies.
It worked—and they ate them all.
Other Ways to Say: Playful trick, Friendly fib, Benign deceit
25. A kind lie
Meaning: A falsehood told with good intentions, often to comfort or protect.
In a Sentence:
She offered a kind lie about his performance to lift his spirits.
Sometimes compassion means not telling the harsh truth.
Other Ways to Say: Soft truth, Gentle lie, White lie
26. Say what they want to hear
Meaning: To tell someone something you know they’ll like, even if it’s not fully true.
In a Sentence:
He just says what they want to hear in meetings.
It keeps everyone happy—but not informed.
Other Ways to Say: Pander, Sugarcoat, Please
27. Smooth it over
Meaning: To resolve tension or avoid conflict by softening the truth or hiding details.
In a Sentence:
She tried to smooth it over by saying it wasn’t anyone’s fault.
The lie calmed the room, even if it wasn’t accurate.
Other Ways to Say: Make peace, Patch things up, De-escalate
28. Softened version
Meaning: A less harsh version of the truth, often tweaked to protect feelings.
In a Sentence:
He gave her the softened version of what the client really said.
It spared her the embarrassment.
Other Ways to Say: Gentle truth, Watered-down fact, Filtered version
29. Diplomatic answer
Meaning: A carefully worded response that avoids full honesty to keep peace.
In a Sentence:
Her diplomatic answer kept the meeting from derailing.
She told just enough—but not everything.
Other Ways to Say: Tactful lie, Polished response, Strategic truth
30. Social truth
Meaning: A socially accepted or expected version of events, not always factual.
In a Sentence:
In polite conversation, people often rely on social truths.
They’re more about etiquette than honesty.
Other Ways to Say: Convention, Polite fiction, Face-saving lie
31. Lie low
Meaning: To stay out of sight or avoid attention, especially after doing something questionable.
In a Sentence:
After the argument, he decided to lie low for a few days.
Keeping quiet seemed like the best move.
Other Ways to Say: Stay under the radar, Keep a low profile, Avoid detection
32. Bluff your way through
Meaning: To pretend to know or do something by faking confidence or skill.
In a Sentence:
He had no idea what he was doing, but he bluffed his way through the interview.
Sometimes confidence is half the game.
Other Ways to Say: Fake it, Wing it, Talk your way through
33. Playing both sides
Meaning: To deceive or manipulate by secretly supporting opposing parties.
In a Sentence:
She was playing both sides in the negotiation.
Nobody realized until it was too late.
Other Ways to Say: Double-dealing, Two-timing, Being duplicitous
34. Two-faced
Meaning: Pretending to be friendly while secretly being dishonest or critical.
In a Sentence:
He acts kind to your face but is completely two-faced behind your back.
Trust isn’t easy with someone like that.
Other Ways to Say: Fake, Hypocritical, Backstabber
35. Wolf in sheep’s clothing
Meaning: Someone who pretends to be harmless but is actually dangerous or deceptive.
In a Sentence:
The charming investor turned out to be a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
He walked away with everything.
Other Ways to Say: Hidden threat, Deceptive appearance, Pretender
Related Post: 50 Best Idioms for Crying and Sadness
36. Wearing a mask
Meaning: Hiding your true feelings or intentions behind a false front.
In a Sentence:
She’s always smiling, but I know she’s wearing a mask.
It’s like something’s hurting underneath.
Other Ways to Say: Putting on a front, Hiding the truth, Emotional disguise
37. Speaking with a forked tongue
Meaning: Lying deliberately or being deceitful in speech.
In a Sentence:
Politicians are often accused of speaking with forked tongues.
They say one thing and do another.
Other Ways to Say: Deceitful speech, Double-talk, False promise
38. Hide behind a smile
Meaning: To conceal your true emotions or intentions under a pleasant demeanor.
In a Sentence:
He hid behind a smile while delivering bad news.
It made the truth even harder to accept.
Other Ways to Say: Smile as a shield, Emotional mask, Concealed pain
39. Talking out of both sides of the mouth
Meaning: Saying contradictory things to different people to manipulate or mislead.
In a Sentence:
She’s talking out of both sides of her mouth—telling one group yes, the other no.
You can’t trust a word of it.
Other Ways to Say: Double-talking, Contradicting yourself, Speaking dishonestly
40. Smoke screen
Meaning: A distraction or false appearance meant to cover up the truth.
In a Sentence:
The flashy project was just a smoke screen for deeper financial problems.
It fooled almost everyone.
Other Ways to Say: Distraction, Cover-up, False front
41. One lie makes many
Meaning: Telling one lie often leads to more lies to keep it hidden.
In a Sentence:
He tried to cover it up, but one lie makes many.
Eventually, the whole story unraveled.
Other Ways to Say: Lies snowball, Deception breeds more, Chain of lies
42. Economical with the truth
Meaning: Being intentionally vague or withholding parts of the truth.
In a Sentence:
He wasn’t lying, but he was economical with the truth.
You could tell he wasn’t saying everything.
Other Ways to Say: Selective honesty, Half-truths, Withholding information
43. Truth will out
Meaning: The truth will eventually be revealed, no matter how well it’s hidden.
In a Sentence:
She kept the secret for years, but the truth came out.
It came to light in the end.
Other Ways to Say: Truth surfaces, Can’t hide forever, Lies unravel
44. The truth always catches up
Meaning: Deceit may work temporarily, but eventually the truth is exposed.
In a Sentence:
They manipulated the records, but the truth always catches up.
Justice had the last word.
Other Ways to Say: You can’t outrun truth, Lies collapse, and Truth finds a way
45. Numbers don’t lie
Meaning: Facts, especially statistics, reveal the truth objectively.
In a Sentence:
He denied it, but numbers don’t lie.
The data told the real story.
Other Ways to Say: Hard facts, Evidence speaks, Truth in data
46. The web of lies
Meaning: A complex set of lies that becomes difficult to maintain.
In a Sentence:
He got stuck in his own web of lies.
Each story contradicted the last.
Other Ways to Say: Tangled deception, Lie trap, Network of dishonesty
47. The mask slipped
Meaning: Someone accidentally reveals their true self or intentions.
In a Sentence:
She seemed kind until the mask slipped.
Now we know who she really is.
Other Ways to Say: True colors show, Disguise fades, Hidden self-revealed
48. Truth bomb
Meaning: A sudden, impactful revelation that shocks others.
In a Sentence:
He dropped a truth bomb in the middle of the meeting.
No one saw it coming.
Other Ways to Say: Hard truth, Brutal honesty, Blunt revelation
49. Living a lie
Meaning: Pretending something is true when it’s not, often for a long time.
In a Sentence:
For years, she was living a lie.
Only recently did she come clean.
Other Ways to Say: False life, Pretending, Self-deception
50. Digging a deeper hole
Meaning: Making a situation worse by continuing to lie or avoid the truth.
In a Sentence:
Instead of stopping, he kept digging a deeper hole.
It made the fallout even worse.
Other Ways to Say: Making it worse, the Trap of lies, Self-sabotage
Exercise to Practice – Idioms for Lying
- He kept adding stories to cover his first lie. It was a classic case of ________.
- She didn’t tell the full story—she was just being ________.
- Everyone warned him that the ________ eventually.
- You can try to run, but ________—it always finds you.
- They say ________, and the numbers told the truth about the failure.
- The more he lied, the more tangled he became in a ________.
- She acted sweet until the ________ and her real nature came through.
- He didn’t hold back—he dropped a ________ that shocked everyone.
- They looked happy, but deep down they were ________.
- He should’ve just stopped talking, but he kept ________ with every excuse.
Answers
- one lie makes many
- economical with the truth
- truth will out
- the truth always catches up
- numbers don’t lie
- web of lies
- mask slipped
- truth bomb
- living a lie
- digging a deeper hole
Conclusion
Lies slip through conversations every day—some bold, some sugarcoated, others tangled in charm. With these idioms for lying, we expose the tricks, the half-truths, and the masks people wear. Language gives us the power to see through deception—so speak wisely, write sharply, and never stop questioning what sounds too smooth to be real.
Danny Weber is a language enthusiast and freelance writer with a passion for unpacking the beauty of idioms and metaphors. Through years of research and creative exploration, Danny helps readers understand the deeper meanings behind familiar phrases—making figurative language feel accessible, engaging, and alive. Whether he’s decoding classic sayings or crafting new twists on old expressions, Danny’s work invites you to see language with fresh eyes.
