as in misleading
tending or having power to deceive
the deceiving nature of most flat maps of the globe causes some people to believe erroneously that Greenland is actually bigger than South America
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in tricking
to cause to believe what is untrue
he went to great lengths to deceive his family about the nature of his new job at the mall
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of deceiving
Fran Ruiz,
Space.com,
19 Dec. 2025
Few things in life are more deceiving than a Week 1 game, especially those played in a rainstorm on the other side of an ocean.
—
Stewart Mandel,
New York Times,
27 Aug. 2025
Shea Simmons,
Southern Living,
29 June 2026
Here, however, the joke is that appearances can be deceiving — or to be more specific, that trying to act like a character in a movie is a reckless, unwise thing to do.
—
Elena Lazic,
Variety,
26 June 2026
The thing is, a lot of people have a talent for deceiving the public.
—
Juan J. Arroyo,
Rolling Stone,
21 June 2026
Park and weather officials alike emphasize to Grand Canyon visitors that hiking conditions can be deceiving.
—
ABC News,
20 June 2026
But O’Malley writes that this is deceiving.
—
Livia Gershon,
JSTOR Daily,
9 June 2026
He was also accused of deceiving escrow agents to secure the release of pre-construction condo deposits and then misappropriated those funds for personal expenses unrelated to the developments.
—
Jay Weaver
june 6,
Miami Herald,
6 June 2026
While the prominence resembles a fiery eruption, Johnston notes that looks can be deceiving.
—
Daisy Dobrijevic,
Space.com,
5 June 2026
Yet while Hiller has been seemingly everywhere on TV lately, appearances in this industry can be deceiving.
—
David Canfield,
HollywoodReporter,
30 May 2026
Adjective
In our experience, these mid-sized sets can be very deceiving.
—
Fran Ruiz,
Space.com,
19 Dec. 2025
Few things in life are more deceiving than a Week 1 game, especially those played in a rainstorm on the other side of an ocean.
—
Stewart Mandel,
New York Times,
27 Aug. 2025
Verb
Appearance, though, can be deceiving, but luckily, this shed is still packed with smart features and a clever design that will keep all your belongings safe.
—
Shea Simmons,
Southern Living,
29 June 2026
Here, however, the joke is that appearances can be deceiving — or to be more specific, that trying to act like a character in a movie is a reckless, unwise thing to do.
—
Elena Lazic,
Variety,
26 June 2026
The thing is, a lot of people have a talent for deceiving the public.
—
Juan J. Arroyo,
Rolling Stone,
21 June 2026
Park and weather officials alike emphasize to Grand Canyon visitors that hiking conditions can be deceiving.
—
ABC News,
20 June 2026
But O’Malley writes that this is deceiving.
—
Livia Gershon,
JSTOR Daily,
9 June 2026
He was also accused of deceiving escrow agents to secure the release of pre-construction condo deposits and then misappropriated those funds for personal expenses unrelated to the developments.
—
Jay Weaver
june 6,
Miami Herald,
6 June 2026
While the prominence resembles a fiery eruption, Johnston notes that looks can be deceiving.
—
Daisy Dobrijevic,
Space.com,
5 June 2026
Yet while Hiller has been seemingly everywhere on TV lately, appearances in this industry can be deceiving.
—
David Canfield,
HollywoodReporter,
30 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deceiving
Adjective
-
Democrats on the House Natural Resources Committee released a report this week criticizing the president and Freedom 250, accusing it of diverting funds and misleading sponsors.
-
The charge alleges a person knowingly defrauded another by using false or misleading information to obtain money, property, credit or a loan.
Verb
-
These fraudulent sites often mimic legitimate stores or rank high in search results, tricking desperate consumers into buying non-existent AC units.
-
The schemes involve a predator pretending to be a teenager online and tricking victims into sending illicit photos of themselves.
Adjective
-
Shadow fleet vessels disguise their identity and purpose through a broad range of deceptive activities, including spoofing their locations and destinations.
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The complaint alleged deceptive advertising and other misconduct.
Verb
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Speaking on Harvard Business School’s The Founder Mindset podcast, hosted by senior lecturer and serial entrepreneur Reza Satchu, the Shark Tank investor argued that anyone trying to balance a young company against the rest of their life is fooling themselves.
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The other is fooling humans, particularly the dwindling number of journalists, critics, and other gatekeepers who are still capable of conferring legitimacy by paying attention.
Adjective
-
The charge alleges a person knowingly defrauded another by using false or misleading information to obtain money, property, credit or a loan.
-
Opponents of Amendment 5 have flatly called the advertisement misleading or false.
Cite this Entry
“Deceiving.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deceiving. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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