lie to

verb

lay to; lain to; lying to; lies to

intransitive verb

of a ship
: to stay stationary with head to windward

Examples of lie to in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Alderman maintains that each of the defendants have continued to lie to protect themselves and believes there is evidence of satanic worship. — Charlotte Observer, 13 Oct. 2026 The cases target people the department accuses of concealing criminal activity, faking their identities or lying to the government to get their citizenship. — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 9 Oct. 2026 In 2001, authorities became aware of the discrepancies surrounding Jamal’s immigration history, and he was eventually convicted of lying to immigration officials. — Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 5 Oct. 2026 The problem, of course, is that lovers are lying to each other all the time. — S. C. Cornell, New Yorker, 29 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for lie to

Word History

First Known Use

1711, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of lie to was in 1711

Rhymes for lie to

See All Rhymes for lie to

Browse Nearby Words

lie through one's teeth
lie to
lieu
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Lie to.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lie%20to. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of deportment

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Why do we call it a 'flea market'?
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
a cup of tea and a golf ball on tee side by side
Quiz: Sounds Like... Choose the word that sounds like it fits the clue...
See All