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
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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
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Recent Examples of deceptive
This type of malware is often spread through fake software updates, malicious email attachments, compromised browser extensions or deceptive ads.
—
Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 3 Feb. 2026
Bright sunshine on Sunday will be deceptive as highs will only reach the low to mid-20s.
—Steven Sosna, CBS News, 3 Feb. 2026
There were actually 22 feature-film trophies up for grabs at the 1951 ceremony, but that number is a bit deceptive.
—Nate Jones, Vulture, 31 Jan. 2026
Some election law experts called it deceptive, trading on concerns about the Texas Senate race to benefit Cruz, who is not on the 2026 ballot but has been mentioned as a presidential contender in two years.
—Joseph Morton, Dallas Morning News, 30 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for deceptive
Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 3 Feb. 2026
Bright sunshine on Sunday will be deceptive as highs will only reach the low to mid-20s.
—Steven Sosna, CBS News, 3 Feb. 2026
There were actually 22 feature-film trophies up for grabs at the 1951 ceremony, but that number is a bit deceptive.
—Nate Jones, Vulture, 31 Jan. 2026
Some election law experts called it deceptive, trading on concerns about the Texas Senate race to benefit Cruz, who is not on the 2026 ballot but has been mentioned as a presidential contender in two years.
—Joseph Morton, Dallas Morning News, 30 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for deceptive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deceptive
Adjective
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This is both obvious and a bit misleading.—
Shayna Goldman,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
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By the end of his first term, The Washington Post had documented 30,573 false or misleading claims.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
8 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Some defendants are also accused of conspiring to bribe a civilian contractor to create fraudulent military IDs for base access.—
Steve Patterson,
Florida Times-Union,
5 Feb. 2026
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Rivers used her professional connection with Event Décor Direct in Deerfield Beach to take money from the event decoration business over a three-month period in 2025, in part by making dozens of fraudulent transactions and credit card purchases, the Sheriff’s Office said in a news release Thursday.—
Angie DiMichele,
Sun Sentinel,
5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Authorities did not provide additional details about the agents' apparently false statements.—
Nicole Acevedo,
NBC news,
13 Feb. 2026
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Nevertheless, Worden continued to promote the false claim to news outlets and hired a media consultant to amplify it, the documents said.—
Marc Ramirez,
USA Today,
13 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Also, Wasserman in recent weeks assured individuals at his company and LA28, that besides the 2002 humanitarian trip with Epstein, there was nothing more to come from his involvement with the shady financier and his procurer Maxwell.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
11 Feb. 2026
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Some turned to a shady, largely unregulated corner of the financial world.—
Scott Horsley,
NPR,
9 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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That doesn't mean the dealer is dishonest, though.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
10 Feb. 2026
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Multiple points of validation will help combat dishonest applicants, Rowe told lawmakers at the time.—
Alex Derosier,
Twin Cities,
9 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Ron Leibman and Paul Sand round out their gang, with Zero Mostel as the crooked attorney who serves as a go-between.—
Mark Olsen,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Jan. 2026
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Descend its famously crooked path, flanked by cascading hydrangeas and storybook Edwardian homes—then watch cars zigzag through eight tight switchbacks while tourists crowd the sidewalks, snapping photos of its surreal descent.—
Lewis Nunn,
Forbes.com,
22 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Deceptive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deceptive. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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