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
Without resources or expertise to vet influencers properly, these companies become vulnerable to deceptive practices.
—
Matthew Kayser, USA Today, 27 Apr. 2025
In 2022, the California DMV sued Tesla, saying the company engaged in deceptive marketing and advertising practices around its Autopilot and Full Self-Driving systems.
—Lora Kolodny, CNBC, 25 Apr. 2025
Hutson is a small, darty, offensively creative and deceptive defenceman.
—Arpon Basu, New York Times, 19 Apr. 2025
Trump earlier this year shut off U.S. military assistance and intelligence sharing for nearly two weeks in the wake of an explosive Oval Office spat with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who was arguing Putin was a deceptive negotiating partner.
—Laura Kelly, The Hill, 18 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deceptive
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Matthew Kayser, USA Today, 27 Apr. 2025
In 2022, the California DMV sued Tesla, saying the company engaged in deceptive marketing and advertising practices around its Autopilot and Full Self-Driving systems.
—Lora Kolodny, CNBC, 25 Apr. 2025
Hutson is a small, darty, offensively creative and deceptive defenceman.
—Arpon Basu, New York Times, 19 Apr. 2025
Trump earlier this year shut off U.S. military assistance and intelligence sharing for nearly two weeks in the wake of an explosive Oval Office spat with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who was arguing Putin was a deceptive negotiating partner.
—Laura Kelly, The Hill, 18 Apr. 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 2 May. 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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