give the lie to
To reveal or prove (something) to be false; to refute.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“His actions give the lie to his kind words.”
“The company's poor financial report gave the lie to their claims of record-breaking profits this year.”
“The sudden discovery of the hidden documents gave the lie to the politician's long-standing narrative regarding his involvement in the scandal.”
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devil lies in the details
Synonym of devil is in the details.
- 02
don't give up your day job
Somewhat sarcastic but usually good-natured advice used to criticise a person's degree of talent (especially in music or other performing arts), implying that they are unlikely to be successful.
- 03
give a damn
To be concerned about, have an interest in, to care (about something).
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give a fuck
To care; to give a shit.
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give a good account of oneself
To act in a creditable manner.
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give a hang
give a hoot; give a damn (to care about; to place value on something)
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give a hoot
To care about; to place value on something.
- 08
give a light
To care.
Last updated August 10, 2026