lie low

Idioms  

1. Also lay low. Keep oneself or one's plans hidden; bide one's time to act. For example, The children lay low, hoping their prank would soon be forgotten, or The senator decided to lay low until his opponent had committed herself to raising taxes. This expression calls up the image of a hunter concealed in the brush, waiting for game. [Colloquial; late 1800s]

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Example Sentences

He felt he had two options: "Go to the police and say, 'I'm in the Interpol system,'" and risk arrest or lie low.

From BBC • Jan. 25, 2026

Being a de facto enemy of the state quickly teaches you where is it safe to be yourself, who are your allies, when to lie low — and when to fight back.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 2, 2025

If you’re hiking with a group, and are within a few hours of help, your best bet may be to lie low.

From Slate • Aug. 19, 2023

You'd think that if Santos had any common sense, he'd lie low and try to weather the storm.

From Salon • Feb. 9, 2023

He would lie low for a couple of hours, go to Gringotts the moment it opened, then set off — where, he didn’t know.

From "Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban" by J.K. Rowling

Related Words

• bury
• camouflage
• cover
• disguise
• hole up
• mask
• obscure
• plant
• protect
• shelter
• shield
• smuggle
• stash
• suppress
• tuck away
• withhold