as in misleading
tending or having power to deceive
the deceiving nature of most flat maps of the globe causes some people to believe erroneously that Greenland is actually bigger than South America
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in tricking
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 deceiving
Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 19 Dec. 2025
Few things in life are more deceiving than a Week 1 game, especially those played in a rainstorm on the other side of an ocean.
—Stewart Mandel, New York Times, 27 Aug. 2025
David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 30 May 2026
The final score was deceiving because the Rockies scored five runs in the ninth off infielder Miguel Rojas, who was pitching in relief to save wear and tear on the Dodgers’ bullpen.
—Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 27 May 2026
In 2023, Newsom announced California's landmark lawsuit against major oil companies, accusing them of deceiving the public about climate change and linking fossil fuel emissions to worsening heat waves, droughts and devastating wildfires.
—Kenny Choi, CBS News, 23 May 2026
He was also accused of deceiving escrow agents to secure the release of pre-construction condominium deposits and then misappropriated those funds for personal expenses unrelated to the developments.
—Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 15 May 2026
Donovan Mitchell, whose box score of 21 points was deceiving, dribbled aimlessly while being hounded by Detroit defenders until his weak shot attempt was easily knocked away by Ausar Thompson before time expired.
—Joe Vardon, New York Times, 14 May 2026
Fresca Sparkling Soda Water No, your eyes aren't deceiving you.
—Kait Hanson, Southern Living, 14 May 2026
Journalists must avoid deception, but the primary instance when it may be excused is in deceiving certain sources during undercover investigations on an issue of public importance.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 May 2026
Her The Wife nods and supports, all knowingly without deceiving the emotional truths of the narrative.
—Chris Feil, Vulture, 1 May 2026
Adjective
In our experience, these mid-sized sets can be very deceiving.
—Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 19 Dec. 2025
Few things in life are more deceiving than a Week 1 game, especially those played in a rainstorm on the other side of an ocean.
—Stewart Mandel, New York Times, 27 Aug. 2025
Verb
Yet while Hiller has been seemingly everywhere on TV lately, appearances in this industry can be deceiving.
—David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 30 May 2026
The final score was deceiving because the Rockies scored five runs in the ninth off infielder Miguel Rojas, who was pitching in relief to save wear and tear on the Dodgers’ bullpen.
—Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 27 May 2026
In 2023, Newsom announced California's landmark lawsuit against major oil companies, accusing them of deceiving the public about climate change and linking fossil fuel emissions to worsening heat waves, droughts and devastating wildfires.
—Kenny Choi, CBS News, 23 May 2026
He was also accused of deceiving escrow agents to secure the release of pre-construction condominium deposits and then misappropriated those funds for personal expenses unrelated to the developments.
—Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 15 May 2026
Donovan Mitchell, whose box score of 21 points was deceiving, dribbled aimlessly while being hounded by Detroit defenders until his weak shot attempt was easily knocked away by Ausar Thompson before time expired.
—Joe Vardon, New York Times, 14 May 2026
Fresca Sparkling Soda Water No, your eyes aren't deceiving you.
—Kait Hanson, Southern Living, 14 May 2026
Journalists must avoid deception, but the primary instance when it may be excused is in deceiving certain sources during undercover investigations on an issue of public importance.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 May 2026
Her The Wife nods and supports, all knowingly without deceiving the emotional truths of the narrative.
—Chris Feil, Vulture, 1 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deceiving
Adjective
-
In the case that led to the large sanction, Quinn Emanuel’s client Natera needed to show that science backed up the advertising statements its rival Guardant alleged were false and misleading, Chen noted in his order.—
Ethan Baron,
Mercury News,
27 May 2026
-
Job descriptions are too rigid and titles are often misleading and neither tends to truly capture what people actually do.—
Keith Ferrazzi,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2026
Verb
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While Matthew and Mu-won started Gojeuneok Bio together, Chang-ho has launched a cosmetics company that makes its money by tricking smaller companies into giving away the secrets behind their products.—
Kayti Burt,
Time,
29 May 2026
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The church hosts sure love tricking us into eating raw broccoli by serving it up in this creamy pasta salad.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
24 May 2026
Adjective
-
This isn’t an easy history to tell since obfuscation, confusion, and deceptive hype are its central themes.—
Jonathan Odden,
Artforum,
2 June 2026
-
Owens also challenged the ballot title and summary as deceptive.—
Jack Harvel
June 2,
Kansas City Star,
2 June 2026
Verb
-
The other is fooling humans, particularly the dwindling number of journalists, critics, and other gatekeepers who are still capable of conferring legitimacy by paying attention.—
Lane Brown,
Vulture,
15 May 2026
-
After killing Minnesota’s first power play, the Avalanche opened the scoring when defenseman Sam Malinski scored his first career playoff goal, fooling Wallstedt with a rising wrist shot.—
Jess Myers,
Twin Cities,
4 May 2026
Adjective
-
Today, rumors circulating on social media in the DRC include false claims that Ebola is not real, that humanitarian workers are descending on the area solely for their own profit and that aid groups are withholding the best care available.—
Gabrielle Emanuel,
NPR,
29 May 2026
-
In January, Roberts pleaded guilty to making a false statement for employment and one count of unlawfully possessing a firearm while being in the country illegally.—
Corky Siemaszko,
NBC news,
29 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Deceiving.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deceiving. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
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