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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
Synonyms
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
The families of five Marines who were killed when their V-22 Osprey helicopter crashed during a 2022 training exercise in Imperial County have sued the designers and manufacturers of the aircraft, alleging deceptive practices and systemic failures.
—Terry Castleman, Los Angeles Times, 23 May 2024
But at Canada’s 44-year-old Festival International de Jazz de Montreal— better known as the Montreal Jazz Festival — the question is deceptive in several ways.
—George Varga, Twin Cities, 21 May 2024
The bills that would ban deceptive AI election content and require AI disclaimers on political ads were approved by the Rules panel on party line votes, with no GOP support.
—Matt O'Brien, Chicago Tribune, 16 May 2024
Then again, the whole movie is designed as a (deceptive) downward spiral.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 16 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for deceptive
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'deceptive.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Phrases Containing deceptive
Articles Related to deceptive
Dictionary Entries Near deceptive
Cite this Entry
“Deceptive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deceptive. Accessed 6 Jun. 2024.
Kids 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
More from Merriam-Webster on deceptive
Nglish: Translation of deceptive for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of deceptive for Arabic Speakers
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