as in to fool
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
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 deceive
Mark Carey, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2025
Your red eyes and runny noses don’t deceive you—seasonal allergies are getting worse, a miserable reality for nearly one in three US adults and one in four children.
—Umair Irfan, Wired News, 5 Apr. 2025
Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Mar. 2025
Any clinic that is promising instant, full growth in a few weeks is deceiving you.
—Rowan Briggs, The Mercury News, 19 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deceive
Verb
Borussia Dortmund vs Barcelona Dortmund, Champions League finalists last year, have flattered to deceive this season.
—Mark Carey, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2025
Your red eyes and runny noses don’t deceive you—seasonal allergies are getting worse, a miserable reality for nearly one in three US adults and one in four children.
—Umair Irfan, Wired News, 5 Apr. 2025
Verb
But those numbers are deceiving, given his form over the last six weeks of the season.
—Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Mar. 2025
Any clinic that is promising instant, full growth in a few weeks is deceiving you.
—Rowan Briggs, The Mercury News, 19 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deceive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deceive
Adjective
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In the 1970s, information about the Tuskegee study – a deceptive and unethical 40-year study of untreated syphilis in Black men – came to light.—
Christine Coughlin,
The Conversation,
9 May 2025
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Anyone wanting to fight such usage would have to rely on deceptive practice laws, trademark and copyright protection, and state-specific laws protecting a person's name, image, and likeness.—
Neil J. Rubenking,
PC Magazine,
2 May 2025
Adjective
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Uncanny valley is a term for a reason: The brain can only take so much false information that’s appears to be real.—
Kate Aurthur,
Variety,
5 May 2025
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Beach furniture and other recreational equipment (e.g., cabanas, umbrellas, canoes, small boats, bicycles) can reduce nesting success and increase false crawls on nesting beaches when left out overnight.—
Lexie Beach,
The Orlando Sentinel,
2 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Deceive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deceive. Accessed 13 May. 2025.
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