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
Fort Worth Police believe Holmon may have used deceptive sales practices related to residential solar panel services and vehicle transactions, including allegedly placing cars in victims' names without their full knowledge or consent.
—
Marvin Hurst, CBS News, 25 Apr. 2026
Police say Holmon used deceptive sales practices related to vehicle transactions and residential solar panel services to exploit victims, including registering vehicles in their names without their consent.
—Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Apr. 2026
Brady at Progressive noted that a liability waiver protects the brokerage from litigation from buyers who may have received reports based on deceptive HOA records.
—Amancai Biraben, Oc Register, 24 Apr. 2026
Ticketmaster’s failure to disclose the obstruction may well cross into deceptive trade practices.
—Christopher Elliott, Mercury News, 24 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for deceptive
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Marvin Hurst, CBS News, 25 Apr. 2026
Police say Holmon used deceptive sales practices related to vehicle transactions and residential solar panel services to exploit victims, including registering vehicles in their names without their consent.
—Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Apr. 2026
Brady at Progressive noted that a liability waiver protects the brokerage from litigation from buyers who may have received reports based on deceptive HOA records.
—Amancai Biraben, Oc Register, 24 Apr. 2026
Ticketmaster’s failure to disclose the obstruction may well cross into deceptive trade practices.
—Christopher Elliott, Mercury News, 24 Apr. 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 28 Apr. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
