lied through one's teeth
Told brazen falsehoods
To lie through one's teeth is to lie boldly and shamelessly, with full knowledge of the deception: He looked me straight in the eye and lied through his teeth.
The phrase suggests brazenness—the lie passes right through the teeth that should guard honest speech.
The liar isn't fumbling or evasive but confidently, outrageously false.
- bold-faced lieShameless, obvious untruth
- white lieHarmless minor falsehood
- fibTrivial, harmless falsehood
- tall taleWildly exaggerated story
- misleadCause false belief
falsify · fabricate · integrity · prevarication · deceive · honesty · misrepresent · guilt · falsehood · whopper · hypocrisy · pants on fire · barefaced · shame · denial · bluff · crossed fingers · distort
lied through one's teethtold it like it is
Communicated harsh reality directly
came clean · bared one's soul · confessed · opened up · bore witness
lied through one's teethfibbed
Told minor untruths
stretched the truth · bent the truth · exaggerated · embellished · misspoke