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de·ceit | \ di-ˈsēt 
\
\Definition of deceit
2 : an attempt or device to deceive : trick Her excuse turned out to be a deceit.
3 : the quality of being dishonest or misleading : the quality of being deceitful : deceitfulness … far from deceit or guile.— John Milton
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Synonyms & Antonyms for deceit
Synonyms
- artifice,
- cheating,
- cozenage,
- craft,
- craftiness,
- crookedness,
- crookery,
- cunning,
- cunningness,
- deceitfulness,
- deception,
- deceptiveness,
- dishonesty,
- dissembling,
- dissimulation,
- double-dealing,
- dupery,
- duplicity,
- fakery,
- foxiness,
- fraud,
- guile,
- guilefulness,
- wiliness
Antonyms
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Examples of deceit in a Sentence
a rise to power that was marked by treachery and deceit
she's completely free of deceit
Recent Examples on the Web Vance originally launched his investigation back in August 2018, after Cohen’s guilty plea and public testimony revealed the Trump Organization’s deceits.
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Peter Elkind, ProPublica, "Prosecutors Investigating the Trump Organization Zero In on Trump CFO Allen Weisselberg," 21 Nov. 2019 But for cheats and liars, for bullies and tyrants, for those who seek to use my words to propagate deceit and injustice?
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Madeleine Kearns, National Review, "Rachel McKinnon Is a Cheat and a Bully," 29 Oct. 2019 Hopefully the payout will discourage other purveyors of deceit.
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Krista Kafer, The Denver Post, "Kafer: The internet has changed our lives for the better too," 25 Oct. 2019 These include poverty, rape, environmental degradation, military shortcomings, war games, societal rifts, viruses and other health scares, political blunders, poor governance, and, ironically, the uncovering of deceit.
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The Economist, "Lithuanians are using software to fight back against fake news," 24 Oct. 2019 Servier is being tried on charges of manslaughter, unintentional harm, fraud and deceit about the chemical makeup of Mediator and the risks of taking it.
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San Diego Union-Tribune, "Diabetes drug victims demand justice in French trial," 23 Sep. 2019 The Cavalier is open daily at 360 Jessie St., San Francisco; https://thecavaliersf.com
5 ‘Die Fledermaus’ opera + Naschmarkt, San Jose
Care for some little flirtation, light-hearted deceit and elaborate revenge — with Viennese schnitzel on the side?
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Joan Morris, The Mercury News, "10 awesome Bay Area date night ideas for fall," 9 Sep. 2019 Having failed at maximum pressure, @SecPompeo's turning to maximum deceit.
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Petra Cahill, NBC News, "Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh under fire again, GM workers' strike, and oil prices soar: The Morning Rundown," 16 Sep. 2019 Openings All My Sons A family is torn apart by greed and deceit in Arthur Miller’s classic drama.
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Los Angeles Times, "Theater in L.A. this week: Bill Irwin’s ‘On Beckett,’ Ethan Coen’s ‘A Play Is a Poem’ and more," 15 Sep. 2019
See MoreThese example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'deceit.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for deceit
deceit
nounEnglish Language Learners Definition of deceit
: dishonest behavior : behavior that is meant to fool or trick someone
See the full definition for deceit in the English Language Learners Dictionary
deceit
nounde·ceit | \ di-ˈsēt \
\Kids Definition of deceit
1 : the act or practice of making someone believe something that is not true : deception The villain used deceit to further his evil plan.
2 : a statement or act that is meant to fool or trick someone
We saw through her deceit.
3 : the quality of being dishonest
deceit
nounde·ceit
Legal Definition of deceit
: deliberate and misleading concealment, false declaration, or artifice : deception theft by deceit also : the tort of committing or carrying out deceit an action for deceit — see also fraud, misrepresentation
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Time Traveler for deceit
The first known use of deceit was in the 14th century
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