lie behind

phrasal verb

lay behind; lain behind; lying behind; lies behind

: to be the cause of (something)

Greed lies behind the higher prices.

Examples of lie behind in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Backyard breeding, where people breed dogs without the experience or knowledge to do so safely and responsibly, often lies behind such sad tales. —

Nadia Scharf, The Indianapolis Star, 9 July 2024 Marras’ talent for scenography is no secret to those who have attended his fashion shows, where the runway is always the stage for his theatrical presentations and personal tales always lie behind his carefully detailed collections and his fanciful and imaginative sets. —

Luisa Zargani, WWD, 5 July 2024 Hockney, also naked, lies behind him reading the paper. —

George Nelson, ARTnews.com, 28 June 2024 But the United States has not significantly expanded its nuclear forces, conventional missile stockpiles, or homeland missile defense systems in recent years, suggesting that additional factors lie behind Xi’s decision to embrace nuclear expansion. —

Tong Zhao, Foreign Affairs, 3 May 2024 But no major study digs into the actual rate of side effects among females, or what might lie behind such differences. —

Maggie Fox, TIME, 5 Apr. 2024 Tracy Jackson is alleged to have killed Marvin Spence, 36, whose body was found around 6:30 a.m. on Sept. 26 lying behind a car parked on Royal Oak Drive west of state Route 125, said Lt. Jud Campbell in a news release. —

Caleb Lunetta, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Jan. 2024 That left everyone scratching their heads a bit, until Kish explained that there’s a picturesque peninsula three hours north called Door County. Door County is known for its cherry production, and while those cherries would be the star of each dish, a mystery lay behind those doors. —

Rachel Bernhard, Journal Sentinel, 3 Apr. 2024 Ensuring support School leaders like Eddie Rangel, executive director at the Adelante School at Emma Donnan, an IPS innovation charter school, say complex reasons may lie behind students failing to reach proficiency in reading. —

Rachel Fradette, The Indianapolis Star, 24 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lie behind.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.