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
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
These cases allege deceptive marketing, claim denials and breach of contract.
—
Alora Bopray, USA Today, 8 Dec. 2025
Filed on behalf of the People of the State of California, the lawsuit seeks to stop deceptive marketing practices, secure restitution and civil penalties and require companies to take action to mitigate the harms caused by their products.
—Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 4 Dec. 2025
Moreover, the ballot language crafted by the county was so deceptive that the county lost a lawsuit challenging the description.
—Jon Coupal, Oc Register, 26 Nov. 2025
As with the deceptive home robot demos, there is a difference between the ideal version of a task and the messy reality of putting humanoids to work in commercial settings.
—James Vincent, Harpers Magazine, 23 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deceptive
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Alora Bopray, USA Today, 8 Dec. 2025
Filed on behalf of the People of the State of California, the lawsuit seeks to stop deceptive marketing practices, secure restitution and civil penalties and require companies to take action to mitigate the harms caused by their products.
—Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 4 Dec. 2025
Moreover, the ballot language crafted by the county was so deceptive that the county lost a lawsuit challenging the description.
—Jon Coupal, Oc Register, 26 Nov. 2025
As with the deceptive home robot demos, there is a difference between the ideal version of a task and the messy reality of putting humanoids to work in commercial settings.
—James Vincent, Harpers Magazine, 23 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deceptive
Cite this Entry
“Deceptive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deceptive. Accessed 10 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
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