Katherine T. KinkeadAmerican Guide Series: Pennsylvania
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"What is a lie?" asks Lord Byron in Don Juan. He then answers himself: "'Tis but the truth in masquerade...." The history of belie illustrates a certain connection between lying and masquerading as something other than one is. In Old English, belie meant "to deceive by lying," but in time, it came to mean "to tell lies about," taking on a sense similar to that of the modern word slander. Eventually, its meaning softened, shifting from an act of outright lying to one of mere misrepresentation; by the 1700s, the word was being used in the sense "to disguise or conceal." Nowadays, belie is typically applied when someone or something gives an impression that is in disagreement with the facts, rather than in contexts where there is an intentional untruth. A happy face put on to set others at ease, for example, may belie an internal disgruntlement.
Examples of belie in a Sentence
Eliana Dockterman, TIME, 15 Jan. 2025
That fact belies another truth: The Warriors didn’t go for it at the tail end of the Stephen Curry-Draymond Green era the way some other teams have, with pulling back on a Lauri Markkanen deal being a notable road not taken.
—John Hollinger, The Athletic, 15 Jan. 2025
From his Hail Mary touchdown to beat Chicago to his 12 touchdown passes in the fourth quarter and overtime — the most ever by a rookie quarterback — Daniels has repeatedly produced in improbable ways that belie his lack of experience.
—NBC News, 13 Jan. 2025
What sets him apart — and has earned him 2.5 million followers as well as some mainstream TV and magazine profiles and advertising deals with Verizon and the U.S. Postal Service — is an artistic sensibility that belies his youth.
—Ashley Miznazi, Miami Herald, 11 Jan. 2025
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Dictionary Entries Near belie
Cite this Entry
“Belie.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/belie. Accessed 20 Jan. 2025.
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belie
verb
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