Idiom meaning, usage examples, facts

1. When Jenny’s parents asked her where she had gone, she told them she had been at the library, but she didn’t tell them that she had also gone to the movies. She told her parents a white lie.
2. When Carol asked me what I thought of her new dress, I told her she looked good in it. I didn’t really like the dress, but since I did not want to hurt Carol’s feelings I told her a little white lie.

Similar to: stretch the truth. The expression suggests that a white lie is an innocent or inconsequential lie.