stretched the truth
Told white lies
To stretch the truth is to exaggerate or distort facts without telling an outright lie.
The image is of truth as something elastic—pulled beyond its natural shape but not quite broken: He stretched the truth about his qualifications on the résumé.
The phrase implies deliberate embellishment rather than innocent error.
- little white lieMinor harmless falsehood
- white lieHarmless minor falsehood
- exaggerationOverstating beyond reality
- fish storyBoastful exaggerated account
- embellishmentDecorative addition or exaggeration
deception · overstatement · persuasion · self-promotion · storytelling · hyperbole · dramatization · moral ambiguity · stammer · fidget · distortion · glossing over · dishonesty · blush · humor · smirk · sweat · manipulation
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