spread the falsehood

USAGE SUMMARY

"spread the falsehood" is correct and usable in written English. You can use it when discussing the act of disseminating misinformation or lies. Example: "The article aimed to spread the falsehood that the event was canceled." Alternative expressions include "propagate the lie" and "disseminate the untruth."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Science

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

David and Ron agree that it's irresponsible for Paul to have so confused correlation and causation and spread the falsehood that links shots to autism.

Huffington Post

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

The Tories rigged the public decision-making process in order to allow Thorp to operate, and Labour's Stephen Byers keep it afloat by spreading the falsehood that Germany was contractually obliged to buy the fuel it produced.

The Guardian

Unfortunately, too many reporters are parroting the White House lie, spreading the falsehood that the budget doesn't touch "core" Social Security benefits.

Huffington Post

Among his apparent targets is Jerome Corsi, the far-right writer previously best known for spreading the falsehood that President Obama wasn't born in the United States.

Los Angeles Times

On May 29, the director of security for the Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) in Afrin issued a statement to the Islamic Front saying that the Assad regime was spreading the falsehood that voting would take place in the city in order to alienate the Kurds from the rebels.

Vice

Last year's "town-hall meetings" spread the wild falsehood that Obamacare would create "death panels" to determine who would live and die.

The Economist

Too many Tea Party members of the House have spread the dangerous falsehood that a default would be of little consequence, that it would merely shake up Washington a bit and cut the deficit, which is already declining.

The New York Times

The gun lobby is spreading the pernicious falsehood that a background check will lead to a gun registry, and a registry will lead to a knock on the front door by a government SWAT team intent on confiscating the nation's weapons.

The New York Times

So consistently do they spread their falsehood that the drug war has failed that even some Americans who want to fight drugs believe there's no use trying.

The New York Times

Much of the propaganda that spreads online reinforces the falsehood that the Rohingya are immigrants from Bangladesh, despite the group having historical ties to what is now Burma since before the British colonial era.

The Washington Post

It is, by now, well known that the AFA and the kind of interests they represent spread conspiratorial falsehoods about the LGBT community, placing blame for a wide variety of social ills on a "gay agenda".

The Guardian - Opinion

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

The definite article "the" is essential when referring to a specific, previously mentioned piece of misinformation.

Common error

Avoid using "falsity" when you mean a specific lie. A "falsehood" is a statement that is untrue, whereas "falsity" is the abstract state of being false. You spread a falsehood, you don't spread a falsity.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "spread the falsehood" functions as a transitive verb phrase. According to Ludwig AI, it is grammatically correct and standard in English. It consists of the base verb "spread", the definite article "the" and the noun "falsehood", which serves as the direct object.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

85%

Academia

10%

Science

5%

Less common in

Social Media

15%

Wiki

10%

Reference

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "spread the falsehood" is a robust and grammatically correct expression widely used in high-authority English publications. Ludwig AI confirms its frequent appearance in contexts related to political discourse, public health and social justice. While the phrase itself is neutral, it is often employed to condemn the act of misinforming the public. It is a more precise and professional alternative to more colloquial terms like "spreading lies". When writing, users should ensure the definite article is used when referring to a specific instance of deception. For those seeking variety, alternatives such as disseminate misinformation or "perpetuate the falsehood" provide nuanced shifts in tone and formality.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

perpetuate the falsehood

Emphasizes the continuation or maintenance of an existing lie

disseminate misinformation

More formal and clinical, often used in academic or technical reporting

propagate the lie

More accusatory and carries a stronger moral judgment than falsehood

disseminate the fabrication

Specific to information that has been entirely invented or manufactured

circulate the untruth

Slightly softer tone, focusing on the movement of information

broadcast the deception

Focuses on the wide-scale transmission, often via media

promote the myth

Used when the lie has become a widely held but incorrect cultural belief

distribute the lie

Mechanical description of the act of sharing false information

peddle the lie

Highly informal and suggests a deceptive or transactional motive

spread the rumor

Used when the information is unverified rather than definitively false

FAQs

How to use "spread the falsehood" in a sentence?

You can use it to describe the dissemination of lies, such as: "The campaign was accused of trying to "spread the falsehood" regarding the opponent's record."

What can I say instead of "spread the falsehood"?

Depending on your tone, you might use "disseminate misinformation", "propagate the lie", or ""perpetuate the falsehood"".

Is "spread the falsehood" formal?

Yes, it is considered a neutral to formal expression. It is frequently found in high-quality journalism like "The New York Times" and academic texts.

What is the difference between "spread the falsehood" and "spread falsehoods"?

The singular "the falsehood" refers to one specific lie, while the plural "spread falsehoods" suggests a general pattern of lying or multiple different lies.