Sometimes people don’t tell the truth. They may hide facts or say something that isn’t real. When this happens, we say they are lying. In English, there are many fun and interesting idioms that describe lying. These idioms help us talk about lies in a creative way. You might hear some of these phrases in movies, books, or even at school. They can sound silly or strange, but they all have a special meaning.
Idioms for lying are used in everyday speech. They make it easier to explain when someone is not being honest. These sayings come from different times and places, but people still use them today. In this article, you’ll learn what these idioms mean and how to use them. You’ll also see fun examples and facts. This will help you understand and remember them better.
Idioms for Lying
1. Bend the truth
Meaning: To say something that is not exactly true
Example Sentence:
• He bent the truth about how much homework he finished.
• She bent the truth when she said she studied all night.
Other ways to say: Stretch the truth, not tell the whole truth
Fun Fact/Origin: This idiom comes from the idea of changing the shape of something—like bending a straight line.
Usage: Used when someone tells a small lie.
2. White lie
Meaning: A small lie told to be polite or kind
Example Sentence:
• I told a white lie when I said I liked her new haircut.
• He told a white lie so he wouldn’t hurt his friend’s feelings.
Other ways to say: Little lie, harmless lie
Fun Fact/Origin: This term has been used since the 1700s.
Usage: Used when someone lies to avoid hurting someone.
3. Pull someone’s leg
Meaning: To joke or trick someone
Example Sentence:
• Are you pulling my leg, or is there really no school today?
• He pulled my leg when he said we were moving to the moon.
Other ways to say: Joke around, tease
Fun Fact/Origin: This idiom started in old English times as a joke.
Usage: Used when someone is joking, not being serious.
4. Lie through your teeth
Meaning: To lie a lot and easily
Example Sentence:
• She lied through her teeth about doing her chores.
• He was lying through his teeth when he said he didn’t break the lamp.
Other ways to say: Tell big lies, be dishonest
Fun Fact/Origin: Teeth don’t really help people lie, but the phrase shows how bold the lie is.
Usage: Used when someone lies without feeling guilty.
5. Fib
Meaning: A small and silly lie
Example Sentence:
• He told a fib about who ate the last cookie.
• I knew she was fibbing when she said a ghost did it.
Other ways to say: Tiny lie, not the truth
Fun Fact/Origin: “Fib” comes from old stories and jokes.
Usage: Used when someone tells a small, not-serious lie.
6. Pull a fast one
Meaning: To trick someone on purpose
Example Sentence:
• He pulled a fast one by hiding my backpack.
• She tried to pull a fast one on the teacher during the quiz.
Other ways to say: Trick, fool
Fun Fact/Origin: This phrase is used in card games when someone cheats quickly.
Usage: Used when someone tricks others on purpose.
7. Cook the books
Meaning: To lie about money or numbers
Example Sentence:
• The company cooked the books to look like they made more money.
• He got in trouble for cooking the books at work.
Other ways to say: Cheat on records, lie about money
Fun Fact/Origin: This idiom started with people who changed numbers in ledgers.
Usage: Used when someone lies about business records.
8. Bluff
Meaning: To pretend something is true when it isn’t
Example Sentence:
• He was bluffing about having a dog at home.
• She bluffed her way through the game without knowing the rules.
Other ways to say: Pretend, fake it
Fun Fact/Origin: Used in card games when players pretend to have better cards.
Usage: Used when someone fakes something to win or get ahead.
9. Make up a story
Meaning: To create a lie or false tale
Example Sentence:
• He made up a story about aliens in the backyard.
• She made up a story to explain why she was late.
Other ways to say: Invent, tell a false tale
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from storytelling where people use imagination.
Usage: Used when someone creates a fake story.
10. Fake it
Meaning: To pretend to be something you’re not
Example Sentence:
• He faked being sick to skip school.
• She faked a smile even though she was upset.
Other ways to say: Pretend, act
Fun Fact/Origin: “Fake” comes from old French meaning to “do something false.”
Usage: Used when someone pretends about how they feel or act.
11. Tell tales
Meaning: To lie or tell on someone
Example Sentence:
• He told tales about his brother to get him in trouble.
• She likes to tell tales even when nothing happened.
Other ways to say: Snitch, make things up
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from old stories where children made up things.
Usage: Used when someone lies or tattles on others.
12. Blow smoke
Meaning: To say things that aren’t true to impress someone
Example Sentence:
• He was blowing smoke when he said he could beat a pro at chess.
• Don’t believe him—he’s just blowing smoke.
Other ways to say: Brag, show off falsely
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from magicians using smoke to distract.
Usage: Used when someone lies to seem cooler.
13. Lead someone on
Meaning: To lie or give false hope
Example Sentence:
• He led her on by saying he’d help, but never did.
• She led him on about going to the party.
Other ways to say: Mislead, give false hope
Fun Fact/Origin: Often used in stories where one person tricks another.
Usage: Used when someone tricks someone emotionally.
14. Tell a tall tale
Meaning: To tell a story that is hard to believe
Example Sentence:
• Grandpa told a tall tale about catching a giant fish.
• That story about a flying dog sounds like a tall tale.
Other ways to say: Exaggerate, fib
Fun Fact/Origin: Common in American folk tales.
Usage: Used when someone stretches the truth too far.
15. Double talk
Meaning: To speak in a confusing way to hide the truth
Example Sentence:
• The politician used double talk to avoid the real question.
• Stop using double talk and tell me what really happened.
Other ways to say: Talk in circles, dodge the truth
Fun Fact/Origin: Popular during the 20th century in speeches.
Usage: Used when someone talks in a tricky or unclear way.
16. Two-faced
Meaning: Someone who lies or acts nice but is not
Example Sentence:
• She’s two-faced—she says nice things, then gossips behind your back.
• Don’t trust him; he’s two-faced.
Other ways to say: Fake, not honest
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from the idea of having two faces—one you show, one you hide.
Usage: Used when someone pretends to be friendly but lies.
17. Pull the wool over someone’s eyes
Meaning: To trick or lie to someone
Example Sentence:
• He pulled the wool over my eyes by pretending to be nice.
• Don’t let her pull the wool over your eyes with sweet words.
Other ways to say: Fool, trick
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from covering someone’s eyes so they can’t see.
Usage: Used when someone lies to hide the truth.
18. Play dumb
Meaning: To act like you don’t know when you do
Example Sentence:
• He played dumb when asked about the broken window.
• She played dumb so she wouldn’t get in trouble.
Other ways to say: Pretend not to know, fake confusion
Fun Fact/Origin: “Dumb” used to mean silent or not speaking.
Usage: Used when someone pretends they don’t know something.
19. Speak with a forked tongue
Meaning: To lie or say one thing and mean another
Example Sentence:
• The villain spoke with a forked tongue to trick the hero.
• You can’t trust someone who speaks with a forked tongue.
Other ways to say: Be dishonest, say one thing and do another
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from Native American history to describe trickery.
Usage: Used when someone lies on purpose.
20. Fast talker
Meaning: Someone who lies or tricks with smooth words
Example Sentence:
• The fast talker sold fake watches to people.
• Don’t trust fast talkers—they’re too smooth.
Other ways to say: Trickster, slick talker
Fun Fact/Origin: Common in old movies with con artists.
Usage: Used for someone who uses clever words to lie.
21. Blow it out of proportion
Meaning: To make something seem bigger or worse than it is
Example Sentence:
• He blew the story out of proportion to look like a hero.
• She blew her part in the play out of proportion.
Other ways to say: Exaggerate, stretch the truth
Fun Fact/Origin: Used to describe making things seem larger.
Usage: Used when someone makes something sound more dramatic than it is.
22. Stretch the truth
Meaning: To exaggerate or tell part of the truth
Example Sentence:
• He stretched the truth about winning the game.
• She stretched the truth about her summer trip.
Other ways to say: Bend the truth, not tell it fully
Fun Fact/Origin: Similar to “bend the truth,” this idiom means making truth longer than it is.
Usage: Used when someone tells only part of the truth.
23. Say one thing and mean another
Meaning: To lie or be unclear
Example Sentence:
• He says one thing and means another about doing his homework.
• She always says one thing but means another when making plans.
Other ways to say: Be tricky, not be honest
Fun Fact/Origin: Very simple idiom that means dishonesty.
Usage: Used when someone isn’t honest in speech.
24. Put on a front
Meaning: To act like everything is fine when it’s not
Example Sentence:
• She put on a front even though she was upset.
• He put on a front to hide the truth.
Other ways to say: Fake it, act
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from building a front of a house—it looks good, but inside might not be.
Usage: Used when someone hides their real feelings.
25. Lie like a rug
Meaning: To lie a lot and easily
Example Sentence:
• He lies like a rug—you can’t believe anything he says.
• She lied like a rug about where she was.
Other ways to say: Be dishonest, fib a lot
Fun Fact/Origin: A rug lies on the floor, so this is a play on words.
Usage: Used when someone lies often.
26. Play along
Meaning: To pretend to agree or go along with a lie
Example Sentence:
• He played along when his friend pretended to be a superhero.
• She played along with the joke even though she knew it wasn’t true.
Other ways to say: Pretend, go with the act
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from acting or joining a game without telling the truth.
Usage: Used when someone joins in pretending or lying.
27. Cry wolf
Meaning: To lie so many times that no one believes you
Example Sentence:
• He cried wolf too many times, so no one helped when he really needed it.
• She cried wolf about being sick and got caught.
Other ways to say: Make false alarms, lie often
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from the old story “The Boy Who Cried Wolf.”
Usage: Used when someone lies often and people stop believing them.
28. Face like a poker player
Meaning: A face that shows no emotion while lying
Example Sentence:
• She had a face like a poker player while hiding the truth.
• He lied with a poker face, and no one could tell.
Other ways to say: Blank face, no emotion
Fun Fact/Origin: In poker, players hide their feelings to trick others.
Usage: Used when someone lies without showing signs.
29. Put words in someone’s mouth
Meaning: To lie about what someone else said
Example Sentence:
• He put words in my mouth and told Mom I said it!
• She put words in her teacher’s mouth to get out of trouble.
Other ways to say: Make up quotes, falsely blame
Fun Fact/Origin: This idiom means saying someone said something they didn’t.
Usage: Used when someone lies about another person’s words.
30. Cover up
Meaning: To hide the truth
Example Sentence:
• They tried to cover up the broken window.
• He covered up his mistake by blaming the dog.
Other ways to say: Hide, keep secret
Fun Fact/Origin: Originally used in legal talk when people hide crimes.
Usage: Used when someone tries to hide what really happened.
31. Pull a trick
Meaning: To lie or act to fool someone
Example Sentence:
• He pulled a trick to skip class.
• She pulled a trick to get out of doing chores.
Other ways to say: Play a trick, fool
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from old magic acts or pranks.
Usage: Used when someone lies or acts to trick others.
32. Look someone in the eye and lie
Meaning: To lie while pretending to be honest
Example Sentence:
• He looked the teacher in the eye and lied about homework.
• She lied while looking her mom in the eye.
Other ways to say: Lie boldly, lie with a straight face
Fun Fact/Origin: Eye contact is usually seen as honesty, so lying this way is shocking.
Usage: Used when someone lies directly and calmly.
33. Full of hot air
Meaning: Someone who says things that are not true or silly
Example Sentence:
• He’s full of hot air—don’t believe his stories.
• She talks a lot, but it’s just hot air.
Other ways to say: Brag, not tell the truth
Fun Fact/Origin: “Hot air” means empty words that don’t mean much.
Usage: Used when someone talks nonsense or lies.
34. Talk in riddles
Meaning: To speak in a confusing way to hide the truth
Example Sentence:
• He talked in riddles when I asked about the missing cookies.
• She talks in riddles so no one knows the truth.
Other ways to say: Be unclear, be tricky
Fun Fact/Origin: Riddles are tricky puzzles; this means someone is being hard to understand.
Usage: Used when someone speaks in a way that hides the truth.
35. Mask the truth
Meaning: To hide or change the truth
Example Sentence:
• She masked the truth about her grade.
• He masked the truth by changing the story.
Other ways to say: Hide the truth, disguise facts
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from wearing a mask to hide your real face.
Usage: Used when someone hides real facts.
36. Not telling the full story
Meaning: Leaving out part of the truth
Example Sentence:
• He didn’t lie, but he wasn’t telling the full story.
• She told part of it, not the full story.
Other ways to say: Half-truth, not complete
Fun Fact/Origin: Used when people tell only some facts to sound honest.
Usage: Used when someone hides details.
37. Play both sides
Meaning: To lie or pretend with two different people
Example Sentence:
• He played both sides by agreeing with both friends.
• She played both sides and caused confusion.
Other ways to say: Be two-faced, act different
Fun Fact/Origin: From sports or games where someone helps both teams.
Usage: Used when someone lies to please both sides.
38. Take liberties with the truth
Meaning: To slightly change the truth
Example Sentence:
• He took liberties with the truth about how late he stayed out.
• She took liberties with the truth during the story.
Other ways to say: Stretch the truth, change the facts
Fun Fact/Origin: “Liberty” means freedom, so this means being free with truth.
Usage: Used when someone changes details in a story.
39. Twist the facts
Meaning: To change the truth to make it sound better
Example Sentence:
• She twisted the facts to make herself look good.
• He twisted the facts so it seemed like he won.
Other ways to say: Distort, change the story
Fun Fact/Origin: Like twisting something with your hands, this idiom means changing the shape of facts.
Usage: Used when someone changes the truth.
40. Hide behind lies
Meaning: To use lies to protect oneself
Example Sentence:
• He hid behind lies so he wouldn’t get in trouble.
• She hid behind lies instead of telling the truth.
Other ways to say: Cover up, protect with lies
Fun Fact/Origin: This means hiding behind a wall, using lies as a shield.
Usage: Used when someone lies to stay safe.
Quiz: Idioms for Lying
Instructions: Read each question and the answer choices carefully. Pick the letter that best matches the meaning of the phrase or expression.
Question Key
1. What does it mean if someone “bends the truth”?
A) They tell the exact truth
B) They tell a small lie
C) They stay quiet
2. If a person tells a “white lie,” what are they doing?
A) Being rude
B) Telling a small, harmless lie
C) Saying something confusing
3. What does “pulling someone’s leg” mean?
A) Giving a piggyback ride
B) Telling a joke or tricking someone
C) Pulling them into a fight
4. What does it mean to “lie through your teeth”?
A) Chewing while talking
B) Telling a bold lie
C) Whispering
5. If someone says “he’s bluffing,” what does it mean?
A) He’s being honest
B) He’s pretending something is true
C) He’s being quiet
6. What does “cry wolf” mean?
A) Calling for help for real
B) Lying so often that no one believes you anymore
C) Telling the truth
7. What does “look someone in the eye and lie” suggest?
A) Lying while showing no guilt
B) Looking away from someone
C) Blinking fast
8. What does “two-faced” mean?
A) Having a big smile
B) Being kind all the time
C) Pretending to be nice but lying behind someone’s back
9. If someone “puts on a front,” what are they doing?
A) Wearing a mask
B) Hiding their true feelings
C) Going to the front of the line
10. What does it mean to “twist the facts”?
A) Tell the full story
B) Change the truth a little to sound better
C) Forget what happened
11. What does “pull a fast one” mean?
A) Get dressed quickly
B) Trick someone
C) Tell a joke
12. What is a “tall tale”?
A) A story about basketball
B) A boring book
C) A story that is too silly or wild to believe
13. What does “hide behind lies” mean?
A) Telling lies to stay out of trouble
B) Playing hide and seek
C) Making someone else lie
Answer Key
- B) They tell a small lie
- B) Telling a small, harmless lie
- B) Telling a joke or tricking someone
- B) Telling a bold lie
- B) He’s pretending something is true
- B) Lying so often that no one believes you anymore
- A) Lying while showing no guilt
- C) Pretending to be nice but lying behind someone’s back
- B) Hiding their true feelings
- B) Change the truth a little to sound better
- B) Trick someone
- C) A story that is too silly or wild to believe
- A) Telling lies to stay out of trouble
Wrapping Up
Lying is never a good habit, but it’s helpful to know how people talk about it. Idioms about lying make everyday language more colorful and fun. Now you know how to spot phrases like “bend the truth” or “cry wolf.” These sayings are often used in books, shows, and even real conversations. Understanding them can help you read better and talk clearly.
The next time someone “stretches the truth,” you’ll know exactly what that means. Keep learning and exploring new idioms—you’ll sound smarter and more confident.
