lie behind something phrasal verb ( see also ↑ lie )
if something lies behind an action, it is the real reason for the action even though it may be hidden:
She soon guessed what lay behind his question.
Two basic assumptions lay behind the policy.
lie behind something phrasal verb ( see also ↑ lie )
if something lies behind an action, it is the real reason for the action even though it may be hidden:
She soon guessed what lay behind his question.
Two basic assumptions lay behind the policy.
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English. Longman - Словарь современного английского языка. 2012