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
The lawsuit accuses the business of violating the Idaho Consumer Protection Act, which was enacted in 1971 to protect consumers from unfair, deceptive or fraudulent business practices, and other state laws related to consumer protection.
—
Angela Palermo, Idaho Statesman, 28 May 2025
That lull is deceptive and even stronger winds can quickly resume.
—Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 28 May 2025
Last year, the Biden administration's Transportation Department opened an inquiry ordering American, Delta Air Lines, Southwest and United to provide records and submit reports to ensure consumers do not face unfair, deceptive, or anticompetitive practices.
—David Shepardson, USA Today, 3 June 2025
The quest to build human-level AI agents using techniques known to produce deceptive tendencies, Bengio says, is comparable to a car speeding down a narrow mountain road, with steep cliffs on either side, and thick fog obscuring the path ahead.
—Harry Booth, Time, 3 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for deceptive
Angela Palermo, Idaho Statesman, 28 May 2025
That lull is deceptive and even stronger winds can quickly resume.
—Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 28 May 2025
Last year, the Biden administration's Transportation Department opened an inquiry ordering American, Delta Air Lines, Southwest and United to provide records and submit reports to ensure consumers do not face unfair, deceptive, or anticompetitive practices.
—David Shepardson, USA Today, 3 June 2025
The quest to build human-level AI agents using techniques known to produce deceptive tendencies, Bengio says, is comparable to a car speeding down a narrow mountain road, with steep cliffs on either side, and thick fog obscuring the path ahead.
—Harry Booth, Time, 3 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for deceptive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deceptive
Adjective
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If someone submits a fraudulent claim, instead of losing insurance, their personal trust score would be lowered, which would impact insurance costs.—
Robert Clark,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2025
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To report a fake social media post, fraudulent text or scam, first report the specific post or profile on the social media platform itself, the center said.—
Angela Rodriguez,
Sacbee.com,
5 June 2025
Adjective
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Most notably, Trump has clashed with South Africa over false claims that white South African farmers are being regularly killed by Black locals, leading Washington to cut all US aid to the country and extend some white Afrikaners refugee status.—
Mathias Hammer,
semafor.com,
12 June 2025
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Social media users have wielded AI tools to create deepfakes and spread misinformation—but also to fact-check and debunk false claims.—
Andrew R. Chow,
Time,
12 June 2025
Adjective
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Markowski recommends reducing shady, humid areas where the insects hide from the heat, including ornamental grasses, dense shrubs, carports and rocks near ponds.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
8 June 2025
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Give your dad the gift of peace of mind with a data removal service that scrubs his personal details from people-search sites and shady data brokers.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
8 June 2025
Adjective
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Transgender rights are way too important to tie to claims that are blatantly, obviously and scientifically dishonest.—
Mike Bianchi,
The Orlando Sentinel,
10 June 2025
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Users of all sites expressed frustration with dishonest users and dating scams, which appeared to be a particular problem on Tinder.—
Dan Gingiss,
Forbes.com,
9 June 2025
Adjective
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Meanwhile, a crooked wayfarer named St. Christophe (Jackson) is hot on Broadway’s trail, catching up with the young man and revealing that his dead dad wasn’t, in fact, a stand-up guy.—
Jordan Mintzer,
HollywoodReporter,
11 June 2025
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From viral LinkedIn mantras to inspirational TED Talks, authenticity is praised as the antidote to crooked leaders, political doublespeak, and robotic managerialism, not to mention phony politicians.—
Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic,
Forbes.com,
9 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Deceptive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deceptive. Accessed 19 Jun. 2025.
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