1
as in misleading
tending or having power to deceive
in his deceptive answer about the vehicle's history, the salesman said that the used car had never been hit by another car
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in fraudulent
given to or marked by cheating and deception
a mail-order firm indicted for deceptive business practices
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of deceptive
In 2024, CarShield paid $10 million to settle allegations by the Federal Trade Commission that its ads were deceptive and that customers discovered many repairs were not covered.
—
Brian Sloan, CNBC, 4 Sep. 2025
Enter California’s hyper-partisan Attorney General Rob Bonta, who has just issued a deceptive ballot label for Proposition 50, the measure seeking to abolish the congressional district maps prepared by the Independent Redistricting Commission.
—Jon Coupal, Oc Register, 31 Aug. 2025
Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes filed a lawsuit against Reynolds Consumer Products, owner of Hefty, claiming deceptive advertising regarding the recyclability of its plastic bags.
—Jose R. Gonzalez, AZCentral.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Nor is there anything untoward and deceptive about it.
—Adam Gelb, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deceptive
Brian Sloan, CNBC, 4 Sep. 2025
Enter California’s hyper-partisan Attorney General Rob Bonta, who has just issued a deceptive ballot label for Proposition 50, the measure seeking to abolish the congressional district maps prepared by the Independent Redistricting Commission.
—Jon Coupal, Oc Register, 31 Aug. 2025
Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes filed a lawsuit against Reynolds Consumer Products, owner of Hefty, claiming deceptive advertising regarding the recyclability of its plastic bags.
—Jose R. Gonzalez, AZCentral.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Nor is there anything untoward and deceptive about it.
—Adam Gelb, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deceptive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deceptive
Adjective
-
Trump has initiated a flurry of defamation lawsuits against media companies, accusing them of false or misleading coverage.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
16 Sep. 2025
-
In a recent interview with the Financial Times, Hinton challenged the optimistic visions promoted by Silicon Valley leaders, suggesting that much of the upbeat narrative about AI’s societal benefits is, at best, misleading.—
Tim Bajarin,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
An investigation revealed the suspect was driving without a license and had affixed a fraudulent registration tab to the rear license plate.—
Anne Gelhaus,
Mercury News,
19 Sep. 2025
-
The fraudulent sellers uncovered by CNBC took credentials from a wide range of companies.—
Gabrielle Fonrouge,Paige Tortorelli,
CNBC,
19 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
More recently, her brother, Jose Napoleon, the director of admissions at Azure College in Fort Lauderdale, was charged this year with a wire-fraud conspiracy involving the sale of false nursing degrees.—
Jay Weaver,
Miami Herald,
20 Sep. 2025
-
In July and August 2024 anti-migrant riots ripped across the country following the murder of three young girls at a dance class in Stockport, and false rumors an immigrant was responsible.—
James Bickerton,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
But what is Canada, if not a shady land deal?—
Dan Piepenbring,
Harpers Magazine,
19 Sep. 2025
-
The retreat is made up of 60 villas—some with their own pools—found along winding lanes, made shady with towering palm trees and scented frangipani.—
Angelina Villa-Clarke,
Forbes.com,
19 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
These are cheap, dishonest shots against a great intellect, acknowledged by friends and opponents alike.—
James Gaylord,
Oc Register,
15 Sep. 2025
-
Industry groups insist that they are committed to weeding out dishonest companies that make false claims or sell dangerous products.—
Suzy Khimm,
NBC news,
26 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
The family had no money for doctors, and the arm healed crooked, forever limiting his reach and range of motion.—
Vann R. Newkirk II,
The Atlantic,
16 Sep. 2025
-
Both are as crooked as snakes in a hurry.—
Howie Carr,
Boston Herald,
13 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Deceptive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deceptive. Accessed 23 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share