as in deceptive
tending or having power to deceive
the misleading text of the advertisement would like you to believe that you're getting something for nothing
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in deceiving
to cause to believe what is untrue
the coral snake's attractive colors can mislead you into thinking that it is harmless
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of misleading
Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 28 Mar. 2026
Parts of the ballot language backing a tax on second homes in San Diego are misleading and must be amended, a judge ruled Thursday.
—Roxana Popescu, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Mar. 2026
But tax experts warn that Americans may be putting themselves at risk by relying on AI, as chatbots can provide outdated or misleading guidance.
—Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 27 Mar. 2026
The mayor knew, or should have known, all along that his rent-freeze promise was misleading.
—Christian Browne, New York Daily News, 26 Mar. 2026
Comparisons to museums that are not state agencies are also misleading.
—Terri Freeman, Baltimore Sun, 25 Mar. 2026
Mixed headlines can be misleading, added Jeff Marks, the Club’s director of portfolio analysis, who cautioned against chasing yesterday’s rally.
—Natasha Abellard, CNBC, 24 Mar. 2026
So the name may be a bit misleading, but Lam says the Everything Serum will undoubtedly leave your hair shiny.
—Allure Editors, Allure, 24 Mar. 2026
Patrick Soon-Shiong, a controversial figure in the biotech industry, was harshly criticized by the Food and Drug Administration for making several false and misleading claims about a cancer treatment in television ads and a podcast.
—Ed Silverman, STAT, 24 Mar. 2026
Yi-Jin Yu, ABC News, 27 Mar. 2026
The New Mexico court decision requires Meta to pay $375 million for misleading users.
—Lia Russell
march 25, Sacbee.com, 26 Mar. 2026
On Tuesday, a New Mexico jury ordered Meta to pay $375 million in civil penalties for failing to protect young users from predators and misleading them about the safety of its apps.
—Mary Cunningham, CBS News, 26 Mar. 2026
The New Mexico jury found Meta responsible for misleading consumers about the safety of its platforms, declaring that the tech company had flouted state consumer protection laws.
—Bobby Allyn, NPR, 25 Mar. 2026
New Mexico is proud to be the first state to hold Meta accountable in court for misleading parents, enabling child exploitation, and harming kids.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 24 Mar. 2026
The companies have been accused of misleading people about the safety and design of their apps.
—Jason Gewirtz, CNBC, 24 Mar. 2026
Closing arguments are scheduled Monday in a landmark trial in New Mexico where social media conglomerate Meta is accused of misleading its users about how safe its platforms are for children.
—Morgan Lee, Los Angeles Times, 23 Mar. 2026
Massachusetts sued Exxon for allegedly misleading the public about climate change.
—Paul Diego Craney, Boston Herald, 22 Mar. 2026
Adjective
Winds high above Saturn were generating electrical currents, creating a misleading auroral signal that mimicked changes in rotation.
—Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 28 Mar. 2026
Parts of the ballot language backing a tax on second homes in San Diego are misleading and must be amended, a judge ruled Thursday.
—Roxana Popescu, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Mar. 2026
But tax experts warn that Americans may be putting themselves at risk by relying on AI, as chatbots can provide outdated or misleading guidance.
—Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 27 Mar. 2026
The mayor knew, or should have known, all along that his rent-freeze promise was misleading.
—Christian Browne, New York Daily News, 26 Mar. 2026
Comparisons to museums that are not state agencies are also misleading.
—Terri Freeman, Baltimore Sun, 25 Mar. 2026
Mixed headlines can be misleading, added Jeff Marks, the Club’s director of portfolio analysis, who cautioned against chasing yesterday’s rally.
—Natasha Abellard, CNBC, 24 Mar. 2026
So the name may be a bit misleading, but Lam says the Everything Serum will undoubtedly leave your hair shiny.
—Allure Editors, Allure, 24 Mar. 2026
Patrick Soon-Shiong, a controversial figure in the biotech industry, was harshly criticized by the Food and Drug Administration for making several false and misleading claims about a cancer treatment in television ads and a podcast.
—Ed Silverman, STAT, 24 Mar. 2026
Verb
The day prior, in New Mexico, Meta was found liable for endangering children and misleading users about the safety of its platforms and ordered to pay $375 million in civil penalties.
—Yi-Jin Yu, ABC News, 27 Mar. 2026
The New Mexico court decision requires Meta to pay $375 million for misleading users.
—Lia Russell
march 25, Sacbee.com, 26 Mar. 2026
On Tuesday, a New Mexico jury ordered Meta to pay $375 million in civil penalties for failing to protect young users from predators and misleading them about the safety of its apps.
—Mary Cunningham, CBS News, 26 Mar. 2026
The New Mexico jury found Meta responsible for misleading consumers about the safety of its platforms, declaring that the tech company had flouted state consumer protection laws.
—Bobby Allyn, NPR, 25 Mar. 2026
New Mexico is proud to be the first state to hold Meta accountable in court for misleading parents, enabling child exploitation, and harming kids.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 24 Mar. 2026
The companies have been accused of misleading people about the safety and design of their apps.
—Jason Gewirtz, CNBC, 24 Mar. 2026
Closing arguments are scheduled Monday in a landmark trial in New Mexico where social media conglomerate Meta is accused of misleading its users about how safe its platforms are for children.
—Morgan Lee, Los Angeles Times, 23 Mar. 2026
Massachusetts sued Exxon for allegedly misleading the public about climate change.
—Paul Diego Craney, Boston Herald, 22 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for misleading
Adjective
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On March 24, the jury found that Meta had violated the state’s consumer protection law by knowingly engaging in an unfair or deceptive trade practice.—
Diana Novak Jones,
USA Today,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Admittedly, Palace’s results had been rather deceptive.—
Matt Woosnam,
New York Times,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The specifications on the Neo can be deceiving.—
Dwight Silverman,
Houston Chronicle,
28 Mar. 2026
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Keep cool, as temperatures may be deceiving National Weather Service meteorologist Katherine Berislavich said overnight lows typically drop into the upper 60s this time of year but can rise quickly by morning.—
Jose R. Gonzalez,
AZCentral.com,
22 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Lebohang Morake — the Grammy-winning South African composer behind the film’s opening Zulu vocals — filed a federal civil complaint in California on March 16 against the comedian, Learnmore Jonasi, alleging that the translation is false and damaging to his life’s work.—
Joe Kottke,
NBC news,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Rebollo, a 58-year-old Chula Vista resident, pleaded guilty in December in San Diego federal court to one count of wire fraud conspiracy, one count of filing a false tax return and one count related to Social Security fraud.—
Alex Riggins,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins and Santa Cruz County District Attorney Jeff Rosell issued a joint consumer alert on Wednesday describing the scheme, which appears to be part of a nationwide scam tricking people into making payments.—
Aldo Toledo,
San Francisco Chronicle,
18 Mar. 2026
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The peach-plum gradient gown is the creation of Dutch fashion designer Iris van Herpen, whose high-fantasy sculptural gowns emphasize movement and eye-tricking form, often to gravity-defying effect.—
Jacqui Palumbo,
CNN Money,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
But Baio says Kassotis has been fooling people for years.—
Erin Moriarty,
CBS News,
8 Mar. 2026
-
Indeed, depth would only get in the way of the plot, which is primarily concerned with fooling you and fooling you again.—
Television Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Misleading.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/misleading. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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