lie with

Idioms  

1. Be decided by, dependent on, or up to. For example, The choice of restaurant lies with you. Starting about 1300 this phrase meant “to have sexual intercourse with,” a usage that is now obsolete. [Late 1800s]

---

Example Sentences

While backing France's right to impose such a ban, the European Commission in January said that any enforcement would lie with the European Union, provided the bill conforms to the bloc's laws.

From Barron's • Mar. 31, 2026

Donovan notes that Sarah suggesting Abraham lie with Hagar in Genesis 16 initially comes across as a straightforward and simple sentence.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 20, 2026

Home hopes lie with all-rounder Sofia Goggia, while 34-year-old Swiss star Lara Gut-Behrami is seeking to retain her Olympic title before retiring from the sport.

From BBC • Feb. 2, 2026

That is when the AI ecosystem conceivably could hit a wall, and where the parallels may lie with the original internet bubble and the circular deals of that era.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 22, 2025

Some of the blame for the generally poor instruction in elementary schools must ultimately lie with teachers who aren’t sufficiently capable, and who too often have little interest in or appreciation of mathematics.

From "Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences" by John Allen Paulos