as in lie detector
an instrument for detecting physical signs of the tension that goes with lying
intelligence agents were trained to fool the polygraph
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Recent Examples of polygraph
The polygraph results were not admissible in court, so Perkins was not arrested at the time.
—
Emerson Clarridge
updated March 21, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Mar. 2026
At one point Gentile agreed to submit to a polygraph examination, presumably to demonstrate his denials were truthful.
—Edmund H. Mahony, Hartford Courant, 22 Mar. 2026
President Michael Randrianirina, who took power in a coup in the Indian Ocean island in October, said Madagascar had acquired a polygraph machine and a specialist to operate it to vet new government ministers.
—ABC News, 19 Mar. 2026
Perez requested a polygraph test and failed it, Flores testified.
—Matthew Ormseth, Los Angeles Times, 19 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for polygraph
Emerson Clarridge
updated March 21, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Mar. 2026
At one point Gentile agreed to submit to a polygraph examination, presumably to demonstrate his denials were truthful.
—Edmund H. Mahony, Hartford Courant, 22 Mar. 2026
President Michael Randrianirina, who took power in a coup in the Indian Ocean island in October, said Madagascar had acquired a polygraph machine and a specialist to operate it to vet new government ministers.
—ABC News, 19 Mar. 2026
Perez requested a polygraph test and failed it, Flores testified.
—Matthew Ormseth, Los Angeles Times, 19 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for polygraph
Recent Examples of Synonyms for polygraph
lie detector
Noun
-
Though Earle left Cooper’s Unwell Network months before Johnson chimed in during her Vanity Fair lie detector test in June 2025, nothing was ever confirmed on what went down between the two women and why Earle parted ways with Cooper’s company in March 2025.—
Carly Thomas,
HollywoodReporter,
16 Apr. 2026
-
This is Ariana Grande’s, what, third time in a lie detector?—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
16 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Polygraph.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/polygraph. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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