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
Project Veritas has been known to use deceptive techniques to record videos secretly and has, in the past, been accused of selective editing.
—
Spencer Nusbaum, New York Times, 29 May 2026
Sponsored by the California Restaurant Association, the bill is intended to protect diners from deceptive markups and give restaurants, which already operate on thin margins, new tools to fight fake bookings, no-shows, and lost revenue.
—Kassia Bonesteel, CBS News, 28 May 2026
That lull is deceptive and even stronger winds can quickly resume.
—Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 28 May 2026
Lamkin has a deceptive delivery.
—Jaylon Thompson
may 28, Kansas City Star, 28 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for deceptive
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Spencer Nusbaum, New York Times, 29 May 2026
Sponsored by the California Restaurant Association, the bill is intended to protect diners from deceptive markups and give restaurants, which already operate on thin margins, new tools to fight fake bookings, no-shows, and lost revenue.
—Kassia Bonesteel, CBS News, 28 May 2026
That lull is deceptive and even stronger winds can quickly resume.
—Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 28 May 2026
Lamkin has a deceptive delivery.
—Jaylon Thompson
may 28, Kansas City Star, 28 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for deceptive
Cite this Entry
“Deceptive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deceptive. Accessed 4 Jun. 2026.
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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