Phrase guide
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
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phrase
When one tells a simple lie, it may become necessary to tell more complex lies, eventually spiraling out of control and leading to the exposure of the deceit.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: lies beget more lies
Antonyms: none provided
History
Attributed to canto 6, stanza 17 in the poem Marmion (1808) by Sir Walter Scott: "O what a tangled web we weave/ When first we practice to deceive"
