deceit

noun

di-ˈsēt How to pronounce deceit (audio)
Definition of deceitnext
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

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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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of deceit In each new place, Charlie pretends to be Layla, hoping to ensnare an unsuspecting Stanley into his web of deceit. — Nicole Briese, PEOPLE, 28 May 2026 Barragán brings a surprising depth and empathy to The Yahoo Boys, to the tin roofs and traffic jams of Lagos, the SIM cards and Apple IDs that buttress this edifice of deceit. — Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 26 May 2026 Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat, the 2024 documentary about the State Department’s use of jazz diplomacy in Africa amid CIA assassination plots, sets Nikita Khrushchev’s fist and Allen Dulles’s deceit against the Cold War’s swinging anti-colonial score. — Michael Scherer, The Atlantic, 24 May 2026 But those movies, in different ways, were about trickery and deceit, about drawing the audience into a head game of perception. — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 14 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for deceit
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deceit
  1. deception
  2. deceitfulness
  3. deceptiveness
  4. dishonesty
  5. fraud
  6. cheating
  7. cunning
Noun
  • Harry and the six other high-profile claimants failed to prove their allegations that the publisher unlawfully obtained private information through methods including private investigators, deception, phone hacking and corrupt payments.
    — Erin Hill, PEOPLE, 7 July 2026
  • Alleged privacy breaches include voicemail interception, phone hacking and obtaining personal information through deception.
    — Jennifer Hassan, USA Today, 7 July 2026
Definition of deception
Noun
  • Antisocial personality includes a persistent pattern of traits such as callousness, lack of concern, deceitfulness, and irresponsibility, Ryan said.
    — Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Apr. 2026
  • 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
Definition of deceitfulness
Noun
  • 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
  • Beyond the deceptiveness of the narrow material view, spiritual light and hope are always present to be found and felt.
    — Sue Brightman, Christian Science Monitor, 3 Jan. 2025
Definition of deceptiveness
Noun
  • Sooknanan also became the subject of a bar complaint filed last week by the watchdog group Democracy Restored, which accused the judge of dishonesty and conduct prejudicial to the administration of justice during her tenure as a senior DOJ official.
    — Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 7 July 2026
  • Academic dishonesty emerges predictably within such environments.
    — Jason Benedict, Fortune, 7 July 2026
Definition of dishonesty
Noun
  • Kidan pleaded guilty in 2005 to fraud and conspiracy related to the purchase of a fleet of gambling boats, and in 2006 he was sentenced to nearly six years in prison.
    — Michelle L. Price, Los Angeles Times, 4 July 2026
  • Google also said the devices were used for ad fraud and other digital crimes.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 3 July 2026
Definition of fraud
Noun
  • The professor was horrified by what appeared to be massive cheating in his course—cheating that was preventing most of the students from learning the material.
    — Nate Anderson, ArsTechnica, 8 July 2026
  • The central educational challenge of the coming decade is therefore not simply preventing cheating, but rebuilding cultures in which learning itself is once again perceived as inherently valuable, personally transformative, and socially essential.
    — Jason Benedict, Fortune, 7 July 2026
Definition of cheating
Noun
  • Honest Abe is forced to scheme, relying on grit and cunning to win the votes to abolish slavery.
    — Kevin P. Sullivan, Entertainment Weekly, 26 June 2026
  • Unable to outrun the Bitchfist, the Hand earns his reputation for cunning and courage.
    — Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 22 June 2026
Definition of cunning

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decedents
deceit
deceitful
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Cite this Entry

“Deceit.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deceit. Accessed 10 Jul. 2026.

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