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
Instead, the deceptive Democrats had the media running after stories on the Trump Reality Show, totally ignoring the mental decline of Biden, and blindly repeating Democratic Party talking points without them being challenged or questioned.
—
Gary Franks, Hartford Courant, 29 Nov. 2024
Usually that applies to the art of catching his unexpected, deceptive passes.
—Bennett Durando, The Denver Post, 29 Nov. 2024
Lamar Jackson’s quest to solve Vic Fangio’s balanced, deceptive defense will determine the flow, and the Ravens’ beleaguered but improving secondary will have to keep Jalen Hurts and A.J. Brown from connecting on explosive plays.
—Baltimore Sun Staff, Baltimore Sun, 29 Nov. 2024
This leads to widespread public engagement, further propagating the deceptive message.
—Hod Fleishman, Forbes, 27 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for deceptive 
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Gary Franks, Hartford Courant, 29 Nov. 2024
Usually that applies to the art of catching his unexpected, deceptive passes.
—Bennett Durando, The Denver Post, 29 Nov. 2024
Lamar Jackson’s quest to solve Vic Fangio’s balanced, deceptive defense will determine the flow, and the Ravens’ beleaguered but improving secondary will have to keep Jalen Hurts and A.J. Brown from connecting on explosive plays.
—Baltimore Sun Staff, Baltimore Sun, 29 Nov. 2024
This leads to widespread public engagement, further propagating the deceptive message.
—Hod Fleishman, Forbes, 27 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for 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 2 Dec. 2024.
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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