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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2
as in deceitfulness
the tendency to tell lies
she's completely free of deceit
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of deceit
Was the coach’s allegation of deceit required to dig it out of the Wolves?
—
Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 27 Apr. 2026
Consider this evilmeister’s brazen acts of treason and revenge, unbounded deceit, swinish immorality and negative role modeling.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 5 Apr. 2026
Keefe moves his characters among a Cubist plot, portraying a global capital’s criminal underworld, deceit and corruption at the heart of institutions, and a mother and father’s unwavering quest for the truth.
—Hamilton Cain, Time, 4 Apr. 2026
Taking someone’s money by deceit is generally not allowed, and the misrepresentations contained in the contract could serve as proof of the alleged fraud.
—Robert L. Boone, Sportico.com, 31 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for deceit
Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 27 Apr. 2026
Consider this evilmeister’s brazen acts of treason and revenge, unbounded deceit, swinish immorality and negative role modeling.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 5 Apr. 2026
Keefe moves his characters among a Cubist plot, portraying a global capital’s criminal underworld, deceit and corruption at the heart of institutions, and a mother and father’s unwavering quest for the truth.
—Hamilton Cain, Time, 4 Apr. 2026
Taking someone’s money by deceit is generally not allowed, and the misrepresentations contained in the contract could serve as proof of the alleged fraud.
—Robert L. Boone, Sportico.com, 31 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for deceit
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deceit
Noun
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What begins as a small con deepens when the painter’s shrewd agent (Gilles Lellouche) spots an opportunity, encouraging Suzanne to continue the deception as a way to revive his client’s creativity — and bankroll them both.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
12 May 2026
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Olivia Beech, America’s youngest female sommelier, tragically lost her sense of taste during COVID, but relied on her sharp sense of smell until she was fired for her deception.—
Paula L. Woods,
Los Angeles Times,
12 May 2026
Noun
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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
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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
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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
Noun
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After excusing herself briefly from the conversation, Patricia returns to find the other guests whispering to Shelby about Patricia’s history of dishonesty about almost being a Boogeyman victim.—
Jen Chaney,
Vulture,
13 May 2026
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Since generative AI became widely available, in fall 2022, Princeton has seen rising academic dishonesty.—
Rose Horowitch,
The Atlantic,
12 May 2026
Noun
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The appeals court that ordered a trial court to reconsider Peters' sentence said the trial judge's consideration of her belief in the existence of 2020 election fraud went beyond what was relevant to sentencing her.—
Aysha Bagchi,
USA Today,
16 May 2026
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Dana Williamson, former top aide to Newsom, pleaded guilty in an FBI corruption probe to bank fraud, filing a false tax return and lying to the FBI.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
15 May 2026
Noun
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Nah, my dreams of us are probably better anyway - cheating?—
Sean Joseph OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
14 May 2026
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And according to the data, most of this cheating is done with generative AI.—
Nate Anderson,
ArsTechnica,
13 May 2026
Noun
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Maybe the mere fact of having been born illustrious, with no apparent faults, with nothing to prove or to be ashamed of, had liberated John from the resentments the rest of us feel, and from the cunning and ambition such resentments fuel.—
Jeffrey Eugenides,
New Yorker,
4 Apr. 2026
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The Brazil international combines technical craft with a decisive cunning.—
Carl Anka,
New York Times,
21 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Deceit.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deceit. Accessed 16 May. 2026.
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