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
Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2026
The Mets have a responsibility to protect their players by not throwing them under the bus, but there are ways to do that without trying to convince people that their eyes are deceiving them.
—Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 16 Apr. 2026
But appearances can be deceiving, Lynette’s family maintains.
—Janelle Griffith, PEOPLE, 14 Apr. 2026
Through the window, the lack of visible trees suggested a barren landscape, but looks are deceiving.
—Quanta Magazine, 6 Apr. 2026
The specifications on the Neo can be deceiving.
—Dwight Silverman, Houston Chronicle, 28 Mar. 2026
Keep cool, as temperatures may be deceiving National Weather Service meteorologist Katherine Berislavich said overnight lows typically drop into the upper 60s this time of year but can rise quickly by morning.
—Jose R. Gonzalez, AZCentral.com, 22 Mar. 2026
Nope, that's not your eyes deceiving you.
—Christina Perrier, InStyle, 15 Mar. 2026
There is the belief, one expressed by Payton, that free agents can be deceiving.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 11 Mar. 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
Swalwell apparently did an excellent job deceiving those around him, including some congressional and campaign staffers who’d known him for years and worked closely with the seven-term lawmaker, day in, day out.
—Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2026
The Mets have a responsibility to protect their players by not throwing them under the bus, but there are ways to do that without trying to convince people that their eyes are deceiving them.
—Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 16 Apr. 2026
But appearances can be deceiving, Lynette’s family maintains.
—Janelle Griffith, PEOPLE, 14 Apr. 2026
Through the window, the lack of visible trees suggested a barren landscape, but looks are deceiving.
—Quanta Magazine, 6 Apr. 2026
The specifications on the Neo can be deceiving.
—Dwight Silverman, Houston Chronicle, 28 Mar. 2026
Keep cool, as temperatures may be deceiving National Weather Service meteorologist Katherine Berislavich said overnight lows typically drop into the upper 60s this time of year but can rise quickly by morning.
—Jose R. Gonzalez, AZCentral.com, 22 Mar. 2026
Nope, that's not your eyes deceiving you.
—Christina Perrier, InStyle, 15 Mar. 2026
There is the belief, one expressed by Payton, that free agents can be deceiving.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 11 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deceiving
Adjective
-
Idahoans United has been collecting signatures for about 10 months after suing the Idaho attorney general and secretary of state over the draft ballot title and financial impact information that the nonprofit said was misleading.—
Nicole Blanchard,
Idaho Statesman,
19 Apr. 2026
-
California has strong consumer protection laws that prohibit false and misleading advertising.—
Susan Shelley,
Oc Register,
18 Apr. 2026
Verb
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After tricking her way into her dream job, Liza discovers that disguising herself as a millennial and keeping her two lives separate is a job in and of itself.—
Andrew Walsh,
Entertainment Weekly,
5 Apr. 2026
-
Recall his central role in tricking immigrants in Texas to fly to Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts with empty promises of jobs.—
Howard L. Simon,
The Orlando Sentinel,
5 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
There is a relaxing vibe about Hilton Head, and a lot of wedges in the hands of the best players, both of which can be deceptive.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
15 Apr. 2026
-
Anything else amounts to a deceptive user experience that can discourage users from visiting unfamiliar pages in the future.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
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But Baio says Kassotis has been fooling people for years.—
Erin Moriarty,
CBS News,
8 Mar. 2026
-
Indeed, depth would only get in the way of the plot, which is primarily concerned with fooling you and fooling you again.—
Television Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
For me, the possible false note lay not in Aramayo’s performance but in the script.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Local police too, have stated that false posts circulating in WhatsApp groups, including claims of worker deaths and exaggerated reports of violence and arrests, have contributed to the escalation of unrest.—
Mayu Saini,
Footwear News,
17 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Deceiving.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deceiving. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.
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