deceptive
adjective
de·cep·tive
di-ˈsep-tiv 
: tending or having power to cause someone to accept as true or valid what is false or invalid : tending or having power to deceive
a deceptive appearance
a pitcher with a deceptive windup
deceptively
adverb
deceptiveness
noun
Examples of deceptive in a Sentence
in his deceptive answer about the vehicle's history, the salesman said that the used car had never been hit by another car
a mail-order firm indicted for deceptive business practices
Recent Examples on the Web
Falter, 28, is a deceptive lefty under team control through 2028 who is enjoying his best season, with a 3.73 ERA and a 1.18 WHIP in 22 starts.
—
The Athletic Mlb Staff, New York Times, 1 Aug. 2025
The attackers use deceptive ads that imitate popular cryptocurrency brands like Binance, TradingView, ByBit and MetaMask.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 1 Aug. 2025
For a version that offers deceptive simplicity alongside unadulterated flavors, my palate gravitates toward Hainanese chicken and rice (cơm gà hải nam).
—Brock Keeling, Oc Register, 31 July 2025
Except for one strange irony. DMV Lawsuit Over FSD Name
The DMV is currently in court suing to remove Tesla from the roads in general for deceptive labeling, but in the opposite direction.
—Brad Templeton, Forbes.com, 31 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for deceptive
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The Athletic Mlb Staff, New York Times, 1 Aug. 2025
The attackers use deceptive ads that imitate popular cryptocurrency brands like Binance, TradingView, ByBit and MetaMask.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 1 Aug. 2025
For a version that offers deceptive simplicity alongside unadulterated flavors, my palate gravitates toward Hainanese chicken and rice (cơm gà hải nam).
—Brock Keeling, Oc Register, 31 July 2025
Except for one strange irony. DMV Lawsuit Over FSD Name
The DMV is currently in court suing to remove Tesla from the roads in general for deceptive labeling, but in the opposite direction.
—Brad Templeton, Forbes.com, 31 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for deceptive
Cite this Entry
“Deceptive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deceptive. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
deceptive
adjective
de·cep·tive
di-ˈsep-tiv
: tending or having power to deceive : misleading
a deceptive appearance
deceptively
adverb
deceptiveness
noun
Legal Definition
deceptive
adjective
de·cep·tive
di-ˈsep-tiv
: tending or having capacity to deceive
deceptive trade practices
compare fraudulent, misleading
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