looks can be deceiving/deceptive

phrase

—used to say that something can be very different from how it seems or appears to be

The restaurant doesn't look very appealing, but looks can be deceiving/deceptive.

Examples of looks can be deceiving/deceptive in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Neglecting The Kitchen Sink Your sink may look spick-and-span, but looks can be deceiving. — Melissa Locker, Southern Living, 16 Feb. 2026

Odin, the All-Father, is not physically imposing or particularly god-like, but looks can be deceiving. — Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 29 Jan. 2026

Just heed my advice, and remember that looks can be deceiving. — Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 19 Jan. 2026

But looks can be deceiving and this Aunt Gladys has some sinister motives. — Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal, Parents, 18 Sep. 2025

But looks can be deceiving in geology, and more evidence was necessary. — Mike Bezemek, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 July 2025