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
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
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
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 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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deceiving
Adjective
-
This headline is so misleading.—
U T Readers,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
21 June 2026
-
Pretending that’s not going to happen is misleading and wrong.—
Gene Marks,
Forbes.com,
21 June 2026
Verb
-
The schemes involve a predator pretending to be a teenager online and tricking victims into sending illicit photos of themselves.—
Sarah N. Lynch,
CBS News,
17 June 2026
-
Such techniques typically work by tricking the user into approving a request to approve a device owned by the attacker instead.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
3 June 2026
Adjective
-
The suit alleges the group, known widely as WPATH, made deceptive claims about gender-affirming care for minors and that its members profited off the claims.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
17 June 2026
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Grand Canyon’s rim-to-river routes can be deceptive because the steepest physical test comes on the way out, after hikers have descended into hotter terrain, experts say.—
Jessica Mekles,
FOXNews.com,
15 June 2026
Verb
-
Speaking on Harvard Business School’s The Founder Mindset podcast, hosted by senior lecturer and serial entrepreneur Reza Satchu, the Shark Tank investor argued that anyone trying to balance a young company against the rest of their life is fooling themselves.—
Sydney Lake,
Fortune,
17 June 2026
-
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
Adjective
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According to the department, at the time of the chase, Buban had multiple outstanding arrest warrants against him, including for being a felon in possession of a firearm, taking a vehicle without consent, false impersonation and petty theft.—
Kassia Bonesteel,
CBS News,
19 June 2026
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According to Peña, a producer relayed the false information to her through an earpiece during a live broadcast.—
Nicole Acevedo,
NBC news,
19 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Deceiving.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deceiving. Accessed 24 Jun. 2026.
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