1
as in delusion
a false idea or belief
their argument rests on a fundamental untruth which has long been discredited
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in lie
a statement known by its maker to be untrue and made in order to deceive
the Web site is rife with untruths and misleading information
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in deception
the quality or state of being false
there is an element of untruth in all forms of art: works of art provide only a semblance of reality
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of untruth
His newest book makes such fact-finding a key theme, demonstrating the instability of a political system grounded in untruth—and investigating how populist leaders can wield that for their own ends.
—
Robert Rubsam, The Atlantic, 18 Dec. 2025
Similar to how post-truth politics attacks the truth not through obfuscation but, by disseminating provable untruths, scorning the notion of a shareable, objectifiable reality, post-meaning makes a virtue of its emptiness.
—Literary Hub, 2 Dec. 2025
Trump is just straight-up doling out untruths – and blaming Biden.
—David Goldman, CNN Money, 4 Nov. 2025
An illusion endlessly repeated despite its demonstrable untruth ceases to be an illusion and becomes a lie; a lie endlessly retold can become second nature, so ingrained and instinctive as to detach from its origins and morph into self-delusion.
—Hussein Agha, Foreign Affairs, 16 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for untruth
Robert Rubsam, The Atlantic, 18 Dec. 2025
Similar to how post-truth politics attacks the truth not through obfuscation but, by disseminating provable untruths, scorning the notion of a shareable, objectifiable reality, post-meaning makes a virtue of its emptiness.
—Literary Hub, 2 Dec. 2025
Trump is just straight-up doling out untruths – and blaming Biden.
—David Goldman, CNN Money, 4 Nov. 2025
An illusion endlessly repeated despite its demonstrable untruth ceases to be an illusion and becomes a lie; a lie endlessly retold can become second nature, so ingrained and instinctive as to detach from its origins and morph into self-delusion.
—Hussein Agha, Foreign Affairs, 16 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for untruth
Recent Examples of Synonyms for untruth
Noun
-
The first type is replete with hallucinations and delusions—voices, visions, grandiose beliefs, paranoia.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Over pinwheeling synths, Mahesh inhabits her narrator’s misplaced longing with gooey, heart-eyed delusion and sweetly pathetic determination.—
Harry Tafoya,
Pitchfork,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The point was to conform language to lies, to narrow the range of thought, to obscure the truth, and, over time, to get people to believe in illusions.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Apr. 2026
-
There were no lies told about this team’s postseason prowess.—
Jace Frederick,
Twin Cities,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Fascist propaganda works by distraction and deception.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Meanwhile, Flores must continue to utilize deception to apply pressure on the opposing quarterback.—
Alec Lewis,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
On her 18th studio album, In Time of Dragons, Amos draws on the long tradition of reptilian imagery to symbolize the elite, from ancient myth to David Icke’s conspiracy theories.—
Emma Madden,
Pitchfork,
30 Apr. 2026
-
The Peloponnese peninsula of Greece is a land packed with myths and legend.—
Helen Brown,
TheWeek,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The most obvious answer was that the story, on a deeper level, needed to be timeless, a tale of a desperate person facing moral dilemmas of increasing extremity while trying to hold fast to their values.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
1 May 2026
-
The children participated in Disney+'s 2025 documentary Lost in the Jungle, which recounted their tale of survival, per The New York Times.—
Emily Blackwood,
PEOPLE,
1 May 2026
Noun
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Of course, the retort is that this would be irritating and exasperating to be continually deluged with alerts about AI deceptiveness.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
24 Aug. 2025
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Beyond the deceptiveness of the narrow material view, spiritual light and hope are always present to be found and felt.—
Sue Brightman,
Christian Science Monitor,
3 Jan. 2025
Noun
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But the illusion shatters when a stranger on the street recognizes the dog… as HER boyfriend Danny’s dog.—
William Earl,
Variety,
29 Apr. 2026
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This week, even Penny’s exceptionalism is revealed to be an illusion.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Made in response to a difficult breakup, the work alludes to two lovers parting ways, but also to Pau’s memories of isolation as a severely asthmatic child in a notoriously polluted city, lying in bed staring at the wall and inventing stories to distract herself from the difficulty of breathing.—
Pauline J. Yao,
Artforum,
2 May 2026
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The $30 million, 28-story towers contained 3,000 rooms, an 18-hole rooftop miniature golf course complete with sand traps and its own hospital.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
2 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Untruth.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/untruth. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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