as in tricked
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of deceived
Judith Martin, Mercury News, 8 Jan. 2026
The agency’s lawsuit asserts Instacart deceived consumers with false advertising, failure to provide refunds and unlawful subscription enrollment processes.
—Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 19 Dec. 2025
Diana was first drawn into Bashir’s orbit through her brother, Charles Spencer — who had also been deceived.
—Simon Perry, PEOPLE, 27 Nov. 2025
Jonathan Gruber, an MIT professor and a key architect of Obamacare, inadvertently revealed how Americans were deceived.
—Jon Coupal, Oc Register, 26 Nov. 2025
Many closer observers of the American scene were not deceived, either.
—Victor J. Blue, Harpers Magazine, 23 Nov. 2025
Isabelle awakens the next day alone and deceived.
—Judy Berman, Time, 14 Nov. 2025
Prosecutors alleged Boeing deceived government regulators about a flight-control system that was later implicated in the fatal flights.
—Jamie Stengle, Fortune, 6 Nov. 2025
In fact, the term itself was an epithet throughout the founding era, a way to describe ignorant and easily deceived popular majorities, perpetually vulnerable to demagogues.
—Literary Hub, 28 Oct. 2025
Verb
Your husband claims not to have known the weekend arrangements in advance, claiming you were both deceived — not only by his old friends, but by their wives, and by the single female neighbor.
—Judith Martin, Mercury News, 8 Jan. 2026
The agency’s lawsuit asserts Instacart deceived consumers with false advertising, failure to provide refunds and unlawful subscription enrollment processes.
—Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 19 Dec. 2025
Diana was first drawn into Bashir’s orbit through her brother, Charles Spencer — who had also been deceived.
—Simon Perry, PEOPLE, 27 Nov. 2025
Jonathan Gruber, an MIT professor and a key architect of Obamacare, inadvertently revealed how Americans were deceived.
—Jon Coupal, Oc Register, 26 Nov. 2025
Many closer observers of the American scene were not deceived, either.
—Victor J. Blue, Harpers Magazine, 23 Nov. 2025
Isabelle awakens the next day alone and deceived.
—Judy Berman, Time, 14 Nov. 2025
Prosecutors alleged Boeing deceived government regulators about a flight-control system that was later implicated in the fatal flights.
—Jamie Stengle, Fortune, 6 Nov. 2025
In fact, the term itself was an epithet throughout the founding era, a way to describe ignorant and easily deceived popular majorities, perpetually vulnerable to demagogues.
—Literary Hub, 28 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deceived
Adjective
-
Here, this happily deluded dingus is played by a modern master of the type, David Cross.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
17 Dec. 2025
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The Athletic was told of one manager turning down a mid-table Premier League club because their ambitious and/or deluded owner had promised to sign Kylian Mbappe, a couple of years before the French superstar moved to… Real Madrid.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
11 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Accountancy has seen several cheating scandals in recent years, with the Big Four firms hit with multimillion-dollar fines after staff tricked internal exams, but the sector is far from alone.—
Tom Chivers,
semafor.com,
29 Dec. 2025
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The initial scheme involved a nonprofit organization that tricked state and federal officials into paying them to serve food to thousands of hungry children but never provided the meals.—
Jonah Kaplan,
CBS News,
18 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Don't be fooled by an ocean that looks calm.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Don't be fooled by the name, there's nothing murky about this southern-style soup.—
Lizzy Briskin,
Better Homes & Gardens,
4 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Quick hits — Canales told reporters that the refs in the Panthers’ loss to the Bucs on Saturday never gave the Panthers the chance to replay a critical down after an erroneous whistle stopped it dead.—
DIAMOND VENCES,
Charlotte Observer,
5 Jan. 2026
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In Wiggins case, the court ruled the trial judge gave erroneous legal instructions to the jury.—
Stephen Swanson,
CBS News,
22 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Through this scheme, the defendants defrauded betting platforms, deprived Major League Baseball and the Cleveland Guardians of their honest services, illegally enriched themselves and their co-conspirators, misled the public and betrayed America’s past time.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
9 Nov. 2025
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IndieWire has spoken to multiple artists and businesses who say they were misled by the filmmaker, his producer, or both.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
6 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Deceived.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deceived. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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