lie low

Idioms

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]

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

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

He told me, via text, that he was "going to lie low for the moment".

From BBC • May 23, 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

‘I know! The Portuguese have taste. Anyway, I supposed this was a decent place to lie low for a couple of days.’

From "Blood of Olympus" by Rick Riordan

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

lie low

Example Sentences

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