Synonyms of deceive

deceive

verb

di-ˈsēv 

as in to fool

to cause to believe what is untrue

he went to great lengths to deceive his family about the nature of his new job at the mall

Synonyms & Similar Words

• fool
• trick
• mislead
• delude
• tease
• misinform
• misguide
• beguile
• hoodwink
• dupe
• bamboozle
• kid
• cheat
• sucker
• bluff
• hoax
• suck in
• sting
• cozen
• catch
• humbug
• hornswoggle
• con
• gull
• juggle
• burn
• spoof
• take in
• have
• have on
• snooker
• snow
• gaff
• buffalo
• fake out
• gammon
• string along
• defraud
• pull one's leg
• do a number on
• lead one down the garden path
• pull the wool over one's eyes
• swindle
• shortchange
• stick
• put on
• bleed
• fleece
• mulct
• flimflam
• diddle
• skin
• hustle
• chisel
• squeeze
• rook
• euchre

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• undeceive
• reveal
• expose
• uncover
• show up
• unmask
• disclose
• tell
• debunk
• divulge
• unveil
• disabuse
• uncloak
• disillusion
• disenchant

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb deceive differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of deceive are beguile, delude, and mislead. While all these words mean "to lead astray or frustrate usually by underhandedness," deceive implies imposing a false idea or belief that causes ignorance, bewilderment, or helplessness.

tried to deceive me about the cost

In what contexts can beguile take the place of deceive?

Although the words beguile and deceive have much in common, beguile stresses the use of charm and persuasion in deceiving.

was beguiled by false promises

When is delude a more appropriate choice than deceive?

While the synonyms delude and deceive are close in meaning, delude implies deceiving so thoroughly as to obscure the truth.

we were deluded into thinking we were safe

When is it sensible to use mislead instead of deceive?

The words mislead and deceive can be used in similar contexts, but mislead implies a leading astray that may or may not be intentional.

I was misled by the confusing sign

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of deceive

The company was also accused of deceiving customers into buying add-on products to get financing for their purchase. — Dan Raby, CBS News, 22 Sep. 2026

Trump dismisses warnings Anthropic’s Dario Amodei, OpenAI’s Sam Altman and SpaceXAI’s Elon Musk have all called for greater government oversight of the industry after a series of hacks revealed AI agents conspiring to deceive humans. — Jill Colvin, Chicago Tribune, 19 Sep. 2026

The Bucs couldn’t ask for a better bounce-back opponent after dropping their opener in Cincy, a somewhat deceiving result because of all the Baker Mayfield turnovers. — Hank Gola, New York Daily News, 18 Sep. 2026

The rapidly evolving technology has become a source of controversy after a series of hacks in recent months that showed AI agents can conspire to deceive humans. — Arkansas Online, 15 Sep. 2026