1
as in deception
the inclination or practice of misleading others through lies or trickery
a rise to power that was marked by treachery and deceit
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in deceitfulness
the tendency to tell lies
she's completely free of deceit
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of deceit
These are just some of the most prominent, powerful bootlickers stumbling right now on their own deceit and desperation.
—
Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 26 Jan. 2026
But while the word’s general usage sounds more than a little archaic in the 21st century, its application to a particular kind of deceit prohibited in war remains active law.
—Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 21 Jan. 2026
Officials deny any deceit and blame rampant post-pandemic inflation, especially for construction materials and labor.
—Richard Mize, Oklahoman, 14 Jan. 2026
This is also a poor day to shop, because confusion, deceit and indecision are in the picture.
—Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 8 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for deceit
Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 26 Jan. 2026
But while the word’s general usage sounds more than a little archaic in the 21st century, its application to a particular kind of deceit prohibited in war remains active law.
—Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 21 Jan. 2026
Officials deny any deceit and blame rampant post-pandemic inflation, especially for construction materials and labor.
—Richard Mize, Oklahoman, 14 Jan. 2026
This is also a poor day to shop, because confusion, deceit and indecision are in the picture.
—Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 8 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for deceit
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deceit
Noun
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Later that year, federal prosecutors in New York charged the company’s former CEO Joanna Smith-Griffin, with securities fraud and related offenses tied to investor deception.—
Teresa Liu,
Daily News,
11 Mar. 2026
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See what happens when jealousy, suspicion and deception take over.—
Hema Sivanandam,
Mercury News,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Perfidy — from the French perfidie via the Latin perfidia — means deceitfulness, treachery or a breach of faith or promise.—
Harmeet Kaur,
CNN Money,
21 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Of course, the retort is that this would be irritating and exasperating to be continually deluged with alerts about AI deceptiveness.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
24 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Ayala had previously faced claims of lying and excessive force but was not placed on a Milwaukee County District Attorney's list of officers with a history of dishonesty, bias or integrity concerns until recently.—
David Clarey,
jsonline.com,
6 Mar. 2026
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Participants are urged to restrain harmful speech, dishonesty, anger and ego.—
Irfan Sarwar,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Peters has not expressed remorse for her actions, instead defending them as necessary to investigate possible fraud.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
6 Mar. 2026
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Last month, in a separate case, Hong Kong’s Court of Appeal handed Lai a rare legal victory by overturning his conviction for fraud and quashing a 69-month sentence.—
Reuters 8 hr ago,
CNN Money,
6 Mar. 2026
Noun
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That cheating is rampant in our elections.—
TIME Staff,
Time,
25 Feb. 2026
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Not every young person feels this type of cheating is wrong.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
24 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The confidence that began Carrick’s spell in charge will need to be matched with new cunning and craft.—
Carl Anka,
New York Times,
5 Mar. 2026
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But Muck is no Epstein, malevolent and cunning.—
Spencer Kornhaber,
The Atlantic,
2 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Deceit.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deceit. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
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