Definition, Meaning & Synonyms

i-tell-a-lie

phrase

/aɪ tɛl ə laɪ/

Definition

A phrase used to indicate that someone is not being truthful about something.

Examples

When I said I had finished my homework, I tell a lie because I hadn’t even started it.
He looked me in the eye and said he had eaten all the cookies, but I tell a lie, I saw him stash some away.

Meaning

The expression ‘I tell a lie’ is often employed when an individual acknowledges that they have not spoken the truth, whether intentionally or unintentionally.