white lie

noun

: a lie about a small or unimportant matter that someone tells to avoid hurting another person
He told a (little) white lie as his excuse for missing the party.

Examples of white lie in a Sentence

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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.
His career sprouted from a little white lie and a big black eye. — Jon Paul Hoornstra, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Sep. 2025 Frey chalked the moment up to a white lie and continued with the relationship. — Rebecca Aizin, PEOPLE, 27 Dec. 2025 While being truthful is an important value, telling a white lie can be acceptable. — Juli Fraga, CNBC, 29 July 2025 Some secrets should be left secret, Morticia believes, but little white lie secrets should be exposed. — Carly Thomas, HollywoodReporter, 5 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for white lie

Rhymes for white lie

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Browse Nearby Words

white lettuce
white lie
white lightning
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Cite this Entry

“White lie.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/white%20lie. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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