white lie
noun
: a lie about a small or unimportant matter that someone tells to avoid hurting another person
He told a (little) white lie as his excuse for missing the party.
Examples of white lie in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Exhausted and distraught at his mother’s distress, one day Jan tells her a white lie: His father is on a trip to Paris, where his parents spent their honeymoon in 1970.
—
John Hopewell, Variety, 30 Dec. 2024
Every slit throat and breathless headline whispers the same thing into a thousand different ears: Everything you were told about the world as a kid was a little white lie.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 8 July 2024
Hitmaka has admitted that a little white lie while visiting The Breakfast Club led him to a $500,000-a-year position at a major label.
—Marc Griffin, VIBE.com, 20 June 2024
Taking a page out of The Scarlet Letter, the story follows Olive as her personal life derails thanks to one little white lie about losing her virginity.
—Shania Russell, EW.com, 10 Mar. 2024
So my plan on the way out was just to tell a little white lie and also spill a little tea.
—Dalton Ross, EW.com, 6 Oct. 2023
Turns out, in nine-time Oscar nominee Cooper’s case, that little white lie seems to have paid off.
—Dan Heching, CNN, 30 June 2023
In the end, Love Again hinges on a deception of vintage rom-com proportions, less little white lie than giant red flag.
—A.a. Dowd, Chron, 5 May 2023
This may be a little white lie; however, it’s made to appease your boss and HR, and help keep the peace.
—Jack Kelly, Forbes, 19 Apr. 2023
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
John Hopewell, Variety, 30 Dec. 2024
Every slit throat and breathless headline whispers the same thing into a thousand different ears: Everything you were told about the world as a kid was a little white lie.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 8 July 2024
Hitmaka has admitted that a little white lie while visiting The Breakfast Club led him to a $500,000-a-year position at a major label.
—Marc Griffin, VIBE.com, 20 June 2024
Taking a page out of The Scarlet Letter, the story follows Olive as her personal life derails thanks to one little white lie about losing her virginity.
—Shania Russell, EW.com, 10 Mar. 2024
So my plan on the way out was just to tell a little white lie and also spill a little tea.
—Dalton Ross, EW.com, 6 Oct. 2023
Turns out, in nine-time Oscar nominee Cooper’s case, that little white lie seems to have paid off.
—Dan Heching, CNN, 30 June 2023
In the end, Love Again hinges on a deception of vintage rom-com proportions, less little white lie than giant red flag.
—A.a. Dowd, Chron, 5 May 2023
This may be a little white lie; however, it’s made to appease your boss and HR, and help keep the peace.
—Jack Kelly, Forbes, 19 Apr. 2023
Cite this Entry
“White lie.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/white%20lie. Accessed 21 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share