Synonyms of deceiving

deceiving 1 of 2

adjective

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

• misleading
• deceptive
• false
• deceitful
• incorrect
• specious
• beguiling
• fallacious
• delusive
• deluding
• ambiguous
• delusory
• inaccurate
• trick
• fraudulent
• subtle
• lying
• crooked
• cunning
• distracting
• shifty
• slick
• wily
• dishonest
• treacherous
• sneaky
• tricky
• perplexing
• crafty
• confounding
• wrong
• duplicitous
• untrustworthy
• puzzling
• underhanded
• subtile
• artful
• devious
• counterfeit
• sly
• foxy
• mendacious
• untruthful
• shady
• faithless
• forged
• underhand
• fake
• insidious
• defrauding
• artificial
• perfidious
• dissembling
• trickish
• guileful
• evasive
• bewildering
• feigned
• hypocritical
• bogus
• sham
• sneaking
• phony
• insincere
• spurious
• knavish
• ambidextrous
• jive
• double-dealing
• equivocal
• backhanded
• fast
• circuitous
• two-faced
• left-handed

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• straightforward
• plain
• open
• direct
• forthright
• straight
• aboveboard
• frank
• illuminating
• candid
• nondeceptive
• outspoken
• revealing
• explanatory
• clarifying
• plainspoken
• truthful
• revelatory
• honest
• openhearted
• trustworthy
• free-spoken
• foursquare
• elucidative

deceiving

2 of 2

verb

present participle of deceive

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

• tricking
• fooling
• misleading
• teasing
• misguiding
• deluding
• misinforming
• kidding
• duping
• conning
• suckering
• hoodwinking
• gulling
• bamboozling
• cheating
• hoaxing
• bluffing
• beguiling
• cozening
• catching
• juggling
• stinging
• snookering
• spoofing
• humbugging
• snowing
• sucking in
• having
• burning
• gaffing
• taking in
• stringing along
• gammoning
• faking out
• having on
• buffaloing
• hornswoggling
• defrauding
• pulling one's leg
• doing a number on
• swindling
• leading one down the garden path
• pulling the wool over one's eyes
• sticking
• fleecing
• shortchanging
• bleeding
• putting on
• mulcting
• rooking
• hustling
• chiseling
• squeezing
• diddling
• flimflamming
• euchring
• skinning

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• revealing
• exposing
• uncovering
• disclosing
• undeceiving
• unmasking
• telling
• debunking
• divulging
• showing up
• unveiling
• disillusioning
• disabusing
• uncloaking
• disenchanting

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of deceiving

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

The public deserves to know which of his points were defensible and which were deceiving. — Stewart Mandel, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026

At Ground Zero, 9/11 widow Terry Strada accused Saudi Arabia of deceiving victims’ families and urged the administration to rethink Washington’s close ties as a landmark lawsuit moves forward. — Collin Binkley, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2026

She was found not guilty on four other counts related to defrauding patients and the jury was deadlocked on the remaining three counts related to deceiving investors. — Emily Blackwood, PEOPLE, 9 Sep. 2026

Your eyes aren't deceiving you — the little delivery robots rolling down Washington DC streets are becoming a more common sight. — Mike Stunson, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026

Oura is facing accusations of deceiving customers about the accuracy of its sleep-tracking features on its popular smart rings. — James Peckham, PC Magazine, 21 Aug. 2026

Paul has long accused Fauci of deceiving Americans about the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic. — Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 29 July 2026

The ensuing investigation ultimately revealed that Angela had framed Hadley and uncovered evidence of her long history of deceiving people to gain sympathy. — Britt Hayes, Entertainment Weekly, 23 July 2026

All the wig and makeup work put into deceiving their people isn’t needed in the first place. — Michael Ashley, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026