1
as in to misrepresent
to give a misleading impression of
his bright smile belied his actual mood, which was really one of great sadness
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to refute
to prove to be false
the latest information belies the old theory
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to conceal
to keep secret or shut off from view
the security council issued false assurances that belied the true gravity of the situation
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of belie
First opened in 1971, the resort is now celebrating 55 years as a Hill Country destination—but its age belies its energy.
—
Kat Stinson, Travel + Leisure, 8 Feb. 2026
Naturally, this latter conceit also belies the African influence that made European modernism possible.
—Zoë Hopkins, New Yorker, 7 Feb. 2026
First, Alcaraz beat Alexander Zverev in five sets – 6-4, 7-6 (7-5), 6-7 (3-7), 6-7 (4-7), 7-5 – after five hours and 27 minutes on court, but even that long scoreline belies the drama of a semifinal that demanded so much from both players.
—Ben Church, CNN Money, 30 Jan. 2026
His unassuming demeanor belies the fact that his generations-spanning music has been lauded by The New York Times and Billboard.
—Deasia Paige, AJC.com, 30 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for belie
Kat Stinson, Travel + Leisure, 8 Feb. 2026
Naturally, this latter conceit also belies the African influence that made European modernism possible.
—Zoë Hopkins, New Yorker, 7 Feb. 2026
First, Alcaraz beat Alexander Zverev in five sets – 6-4, 7-6 (7-5), 6-7 (3-7), 6-7 (4-7), 7-5 – after five hours and 27 minutes on court, but even that long scoreline belies the drama of a semifinal that demanded so much from both players.
—Ben Church, CNN Money, 30 Jan. 2026
His unassuming demeanor belies the fact that his generations-spanning music has been lauded by The New York Times and Billboard.
—Deasia Paige, AJC.com, 30 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for belie
Recent Examples of Synonyms for belie
Verb
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Under Arizona’s Consumer Fraud Act, businesses can’t misrepresent their products.—
Christopher Elliott,
Mercury News,
6 Feb. 2026
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Wang also misrepresented herself as holding current aesthetician, massage therapist and hair salon licenses on a loan application to the American Lending Center, the DA's office said.—
Sarah Rumpf-Whitten,
FOXNews.com,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
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This is a political tactic of the most crude sort, making no effort to refute an argument but to instead impugn the motives of those making it, along with the assumption that people with white skin can always and forever have only suspect motives.—
Bradley Gitz,
Arkansas Online,
9 Feb. 2026
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Browsh refutes the idea the NFL chose Bad Bunny as a political stunt.—
Jake Angelo,
Fortune,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
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To be sure, stable average prices can conceal the reality that some patients face higher expenses while others see lower costs.—
Chris Pope,
Washington Post,
10 Feb. 2026
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Plaintiffs also accuse the companies of failing to warn users about the risks of using their products and of deliberately concealing their dangers.—
Kaitlyn Tiffany,
The Atlantic,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The individual, their face covered in a ski mask, appears to fiddle with the camera with a gloved hand before turning away to look for something to obscure the lens.—
Anna Kaufman,
USA Today,
11 Feb. 2026
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But despite the new program’s promising rhetoric, the scientific framing of the announcement obscures a deeper policy problem.—
Washington Post,
Washington Post,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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This means that bills get hearings, debates happen in public, and legislators are required to vote on issues instead of hiding behind process.—
Eleanor Dearman,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Feb. 2026
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Maybe Mark Kelly and several other dissident members of Congress are hiding the sun in a big bag.—
Alexandra Petri,
The Atlantic,
14 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Belie.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/belie. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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