1
as in misleading
tending or having power to deceive
in his deceptive answer about the vehicle's history, the salesman said that the used car had never been hit by another car
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in fraudulent
given to or marked by cheating and deception
a mail-order firm indicted for deceptive business practices
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of deceptive
But also, that’s a slightly deceptive analogy because there’s other ones where all eras exist at once.
—
Ari Daniel, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 May 2025
My office is committed to protecting the public from deceptive business practices and holding these companies accountable for their role in the plastic pollution crisis.
—Sophie Clark, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 May 2025
In the 1970s, information about the Tuskegee study – a deceptive and unethical 40-year study of untreated syphilis in Black men – came to light.
—Christine Coughlin, The Conversation, 9 May 2025
Anyone wanting to fight such usage would have to rely on deceptive practice laws, trademark and copyright protection, and state-specific laws protecting a person's name, image, and likeness.
—Neil J. Rubenking, PC Magazine, 2 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for deceptive
Ari Daniel, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 May 2025
My office is committed to protecting the public from deceptive business practices and holding these companies accountable for their role in the plastic pollution crisis.
—Sophie Clark, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 May 2025
In the 1970s, information about the Tuskegee study – a deceptive and unethical 40-year study of untreated syphilis in Black men – came to light.
—Christine Coughlin, The Conversation, 9 May 2025
Anyone wanting to fight such usage would have to rely on deceptive practice laws, trademark and copyright protection, and state-specific laws protecting a person's name, image, and likeness.
—Neil J. Rubenking, PC Magazine, 2 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for deceptive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deceptive
Adjective
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On May 30, 2025, a Pennsylvania federal court refused NFL player agent Todd France’s request to vacate a December 2023 arbitration decision which ordered France to pay over $800,000 in damages to rival agent Jason Bernstein and which excoriated France for fraudulent conduct.—
Chris Deubert,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2025
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The couple were convicted of conspiring to defraud community banks out of more than $30 million in fraudulent loans as well as tax evasion and sentenced to 12 and seven years, respectively.—
Brie Stimson,
FOXNews.com,
30 May 2025
Adjective
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The couple was convicted in 2022 of conspiring to defraud banks out of more than $30 million in loans by submitting false documents.—
Eric Tucker,
Chicago Tribune,
30 May 2025
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His career was on a steady rise until a series of accusations and investigations in the mid-2000s — including tax evasion, fraud and making false statements — landed him in prison.—
Rachel Raposas,
People.com,
30 May 2025
Adjective
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Patti LuPone had a shady reaction to questions about Audra McDonald in a new interview.—
Joey Nolfi Published,
EW.com,
27 May 2025
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Simple Deluxe 9-foot Patio Umbrella and 50-pound Base Add a shady spot to your sunny patio space with this nine-foot umbrella that comes with a base that can be filled with up to 50 pounds of sand or water.—
Olivia Young,
Travel + Leisure,
26 May 2025
Adjective
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Harvard’s dishonest expert on honesty is a poignant symbol of a far larger problem in academia: ideological allegiance replacing the quest for truth.—
Andrew Follett,
National Review,
31 May 2025
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On one hand, the inquiry appeared to play into his rivals’ criticisms of Mr. Cuomo as a dishonest broker, who has been accused of putting nursing home residents at risk during the coronavirus pandemic and seeking to cover it up.—
Nicholas Fandos,
New York Times,
21 May 2025
Adjective
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Among them is Tonic, which stars Blair (Sin City: A Dame to Kill For) as Sebastian Poe, a struggling jazz pianist who is given 24 hours to kill a dangerous drug dealer (Westwick) by a crooked cop (Jaso Coviello), and spirals into a moral and emotional tailspin.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
15 May 2025
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Cigarette smoke, dames to kill for, crooked cops — latex super suit?—
Ryan Coleman,
EW.com,
13 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Deceptive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deceptive. Accessed 3 Jun. 2025.
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