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

Those figures, though, are a bit deceiving; infant and childhood mortality dragged them down dramatically. — Adam Cohen, Oklahoman, 30 June 2026

Appearance, though, can be deceiving, but luckily, this shed is still packed with smart features and a clever design that will keep all your belongings safe. — Shea Simmons, Southern Living, 29 June 2026

Here, however, the joke is that appearances can be deceiving — or to be more specific, that trying to act like a character in a movie is a reckless, unwise thing to do. — Elena Lazic, Variety, 26 June 2026

The thing is, a lot of people have a talent for deceiving the public. — Juan J. Arroyo, Rolling Stone, 21 June 2026

Park and weather officials alike emphasize to Grand Canyon visitors that hiking conditions can be deceiving. — ABC News, 20 June 2026

But O’Malley writes that this is deceiving. — Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 9 June 2026

He was also accused of deceiving escrow agents to secure the release of pre-construction condo deposits and then misappropriated those funds for personal expenses unrelated to the developments. — Jay Weaver june 6, Miami Herald, 6 June 2026

While the prominence resembles a fiery eruption, Johnston notes that looks can be deceiving. — Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 5 June 2026