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
In many states, enrollment requires only a name, Social Security number and address — data easily culled from fake ads like the ones in Florida, unsolicited calls or other deceptive means.
—
Bloomberg Opinion, Twin Cities, 15 Feb. 2026
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) receives thousands of complaints about debt collectors each year, with many borrowers reporting issues with harassment, threats and deceptive tactics designed to extract payments quickly.
—Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 13 Feb. 2026
Savings are only on brand names, which can be deceptive when comparing prices.
—Tom Gavin, EverydayHealth.com, 10 Feb. 2026
Novo has so far filed around 130 lawsuits dealing with deceptive marketing practices and consumer fraud, Kuckelman said.
—Annika Kim Constantino, CNBC, 9 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for deceptive
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Bloomberg Opinion, Twin Cities, 15 Feb. 2026
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) receives thousands of complaints about debt collectors each year, with many borrowers reporting issues with harassment, threats and deceptive tactics designed to extract payments quickly.
—Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 13 Feb. 2026
Savings are only on brand names, which can be deceptive when comparing prices.
—Tom Gavin, EverydayHealth.com, 10 Feb. 2026
Novo has so far filed around 130 lawsuits dealing with deceptive marketing practices and consumer fraud, Kuckelman said.
—Annika Kim Constantino, CNBC, 9 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for deceptive
Cite this Entry
“Deceptive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deceptive. Accessed 18 Feb. 2026.
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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