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
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 deceived
Torrey Snow, Baltimore Sun, 14 Jan. 2026
Trump told people that Rupert deceived him.
—Gabriel Sherman, Vanity Fair, 14 Jan. 2026
Sextortion, a scheme where victims are deceived into sending online perpetrators explicit images and then blackmailed in exchange for money or additional graphic content, has affected thousands of teens in recent years and led to multiple suicide deaths.
—Clare Duffy, CNN Money, 12 Jan. 2026
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
Verb
Challengers should give Marylanders the option to choose a new direction and remove the need to confront the painful reality that they were deceived.
—Torrey Snow, Baltimore Sun, 14 Jan. 2026
Trump told people that Rupert deceived him.
—Gabriel Sherman, Vanity Fair, 14 Jan. 2026
Sextortion, a scheme where victims are deceived into sending online perpetrators explicit images and then blackmailed in exchange for money or additional graphic content, has affected thousands of teens in recent years and led to multiple suicide deaths.
—Clare Duffy, CNN Money, 12 Jan. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deceived
Adjective
-
Only a deluded pendejo could support what Maduro wrought on Venezuela, which was a prosperous country and a relatively stable U.S. ally for decades as the rest of South America teetered from one crisis to another.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Jan. 2026
-
Here, this happily deluded dingus is played by a modern master of the type, David Cross.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
17 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
That's where people get tricked.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
16 Jan. 2026
-
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
Verb
-
The first generation of Iranian revolutionaries—including octogenarians like Ayatollah Ali Khamenei—have long fooled themselves about their future.—
Robin Wright,
New Yorker,
13 Jan. 2026
-
Don’t be fooled by their jaw-dropping price, the bottoms deliver an expensive look thanks to their dark wash and classic cut.—
Kyra Surgent,
InStyle,
11 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
How to opt out Incorporating AI directly into Gmail could pose risks for Google, given that large language models can sometimes present erroneous or misleading information.—
Julia Doyle,
CBS News,
8 Jan. 2026
-
The complaint goes on to state that immediately after the erroneous payment was recognized, the governor’s office attempted to reverse the direct deposits, but could not do so due to Cook having insufficient funds in his accounts.—
Tim Dunn,
Boston Herald,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
But now, as Williams vows to spend the new tax money only on health care and seeks from the District Attorney’s Office some of the proportionately biggest county budget reduction targets, public safety advocates say they were misled.—
Daniel Borenstein,
Mercury News,
9 Jan. 2026
-
The Fulton County District Attorney’s Office misled the court about its reasons for putting off filing an appeal of an order to return $150,000 in cash, luxury cars, jewelry and other assets seized from Atlanta rapper Young Thug, a judge said Wednesday.—
Jozsef Papp,
AJC.com,
9 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Deceived.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deceived. Accessed 23 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
