Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective untruthful differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of untruthful are deceitful, dishonest, and mendacious. While all these words mean "unworthy of trust or belief," untruthful stresses a discrepancy between what is said and fact or reality.

an untruthful account of their actions

When is deceitful a more appropriate choice than untruthful?

The words deceitful and untruthful are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, deceitful usually implies an intent to mislead and commonly suggests a false appearance or double-dealing.

the secret affairs of a deceitful spouse

When would dishonest be a good substitute for untruthful?

While the synonyms dishonest and untruthful are close in meaning, dishonest implies a willful perversion of truth in order to deceive, cheat, or defraud.

a swindle usually involves two dishonest people

When might mendacious be a better fit than untruthful?

While in some cases nearly identical to untruthful, mendacious may suggest bland or even harmlessly mischievous deceit and when used of people often suggests a habit of telling untruths.

mendacious tales of adventure

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of untruthful On Wednesday, the defense attacked Marquez’s credibility, questioning his motives for cooperating with the FBI and grilling him over episodes in his background that might paint him as untruthful. Megan Crepeau, Chicago Tribune, 13 Nov. 2024 However, Miranda, Assad, and Arroyo routinely failed in their obligations to cooperate with the investigation by delaying responses, refusing to provide certain information or documents, and providing inconsistent or untruthful responses. Chris Deubert, Forbes, 19 Nov. 2024 Phelan, largely brushing off Covey's attacks as politically motivated and untruthful, has stuck to his reputation of having represented the district through several election cycles, running unopposed over the past several, and his work to advance border security legislation and funding last year. Hogan Gore, Austin American-Statesman, 20 May 2024 Our choice is the person who says the most outrageous, offensive and untruthful things, or the person who is subjected to those insults and lies. Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 29 Oct. 2024 See All Example Sentences for untruthful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for untruthful
Adjective
  • But at these later stages, none of the remaining instances were in an erroneous state.
    John Timmer, ArsTechnica, 6 June 2025
  • Meta said that its new policies had helped reduce erroneous content removals in the US by half without broadly exposing users to more offensive content than before the changes.
    Paresh Dave, Wired News, 29 May 2025
Adjective
  • Retailers today face a complex mix of labor shortages, inconsistent customer service, inaccurate inventory data and rising customer expectations.
    Brett Beveridge, Forbes.com, 6 June 2025
  • Of course, using AI models for intelligence analysis raises concerns about confabulation, where the models generate plausible-sounding, inaccurate information.
    ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 6 June 2025
Adjective
  • Transgender rights are way too important to tie to claims that are blatantly, obviously and scientifically dishonest.
    Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 10 June 2025
  • Users of all sites expressed frustration with dishonest users and dating scams, which appeared to be a particular problem on Tinder.
    Dan Gingiss, Forbes.com, 9 June 2025
Adjective
  • Earlier this year, the company’s shareholders voted against a proposal to halt shipments of arms to Israel on the grounds that premise of the proposal was incorrect.
    Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 13 June 2025
  • More: Biden to create two new national monuments in California The Justice Department determined an opinion from the U.S. Attorney General nearly a century ago was incorrect.
    Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 13 June 2025
Adjective
  • Impulsive, egocentric, and mendacious, Trump has, in the same span, set fire to the integrity of his office.
    David Remnick, New Yorker, 27 Apr. 2025
  • Her unsettling command of the character — who was equal parts sweet, vulnerable, mendacious, and menacing — was one of the highlights of the series.
    Jake Kanter, Deadline, 24 Dec. 2024
Adjective
  • And then what happens when taxpayers are given the wrong answer?
    Tax Notes Staff, Forbes.com, 10 June 2025
  • For HBCUs, the moment is reminiscent of the era decades ago when Black colleges were compelled to argue that school segregation was wrong but also needed to maintain government support for their institutions, said Marybeth Gasman, a Rutgers University professor who has studied the history of HBCUs.
    Cheyanne Mumphrey, Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2025
Adjective
  • Most notably, Trump has clashed with South Africa over false claims that white South African farmers are being regularly killed by Black locals, leading Washington to cut all US aid to the country and extend some white Afrikaners refugee status.
    Mathias Hammer, semafor.com, 12 June 2025
  • An excellent demo is what distinguishes the truth from false claims.
    Claire Trimble, Forbes.com, 12 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Untruthful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/untruthful. Accessed 19 Jun. 2025.

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