as in falsely
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Recent Examples of deceptively
These plinking, whimsical ditties—each song lasts but a minute or two at most— are evocative in their simplicity, but deceptively rich in texture.
—
Sam Goldner, Pitchfork, 2 Apr. 2026
The image, shared to Reddit in December 2025 under u/highlyregardedcarp, showed Atlas mid-nap—calm, with his large paws stretched out and deceptively serene.
—Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
Demidov used that knowledge to his advantage, deceptively selling a shot before passing to Lane Hutson, then stepping around a diving Cozens and accepting a return pass from Hutson in the heart of the slot, where his one-timer tied the game.
—Arpon Basu, New York Times, 30 Mar. 2026
The schism runs through a deceptively simple assumption.
—Paul M. Sutter, Scientific American, 27 Mar. 2026
Once used by Iran's monarchy to exile political prisoners, this rock is deceptively fertile on the ground.
—Alexander Smith, NBC news, 25 Mar. 2026
Bridget Woodman, with the research group Zero Carbon Analytics, said that as the world strays farther off track from its climate goals, nuclear can look deceptively more enticing than other less risky alternatives, like renewable energy.
—ABC News, 25 Mar. 2026
These sometimes deceptively simple books are quietly powerful demonstrations that the stories of ordinary women are significant, worth telling, and also a pleasure to read.
—Literary Hub, 16 Mar. 2026
The deceptively simple look featured intricate pleating which wrapped around Swank's torso and hips, and when the actress turned, the dress revealed her sculpted, bare back.
—Kevin Huynh, InStyle, 15 Mar. 2026
Sam Goldner, Pitchfork, 2 Apr. 2026
The image, shared to Reddit in December 2025 under u/highlyregardedcarp, showed Atlas mid-nap—calm, with his large paws stretched out and deceptively serene.
—Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
Demidov used that knowledge to his advantage, deceptively selling a shot before passing to Lane Hutson, then stepping around a diving Cozens and accepting a return pass from Hutson in the heart of the slot, where his one-timer tied the game.
—Arpon Basu, New York Times, 30 Mar. 2026
The schism runs through a deceptively simple assumption.
—Paul M. Sutter, Scientific American, 27 Mar. 2026
Once used by Iran's monarchy to exile political prisoners, this rock is deceptively fertile on the ground.
—Alexander Smith, NBC news, 25 Mar. 2026
Bridget Woodman, with the research group Zero Carbon Analytics, said that as the world strays farther off track from its climate goals, nuclear can look deceptively more enticing than other less risky alternatives, like renewable energy.
—ABC News, 25 Mar. 2026
These sometimes deceptively simple books are quietly powerful demonstrations that the stories of ordinary women are significant, worth telling, and also a pleasure to read.
—Literary Hub, 16 Mar. 2026
The deceptively simple look featured intricate pleating which wrapped around Swank's torso and hips, and when the actress turned, the dress revealed her sculpted, bare back.
—Kevin Huynh, InStyle, 15 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deceptively
Adverb
-
Leike sent a message urging him not to falsely suggest that the effort had been approved.—
Ronan Farrow,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
-
Wilson countersued, claiming Georgia is trying to penalize him for his decision to transfer and alleging that Georgia staffers falsely told multiple unnamed Power 4 programs that information.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
6 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
As Puerto Rico’s hometown hero Bad Bunny artfully observed in his recent Super Bowl performance, the island’s grid is in tatters, and has been for years.—
Tim McDonnell,
semafor.com,
23 Mar. 2026
-
Although the bowls are often artfully arranged, this version is casual, with steamed vegetables added atop the rice in a higgledy-piggledy array.—
Cathy Thomas,
Oc Register,
16 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
Jacob goes to Isaac with this hairy disguise, deceitfully announces himself as Esau, and obtains his father’s blessing—much to the chagrin of his brother.—
Charles Preston,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
13 Mar. 2026
-
To help fill their coffers even more, the lobbyists deceitfully expanded the definition of those notch years to include everyone born through 1926.—
Tom Margenau,
Dallas Morning News,
1 Feb. 2026
Adverb
-
Additional uses of geolocation data, the providers say, include proving a bettor is dishonestly disputing credit card charges, revealing sign-up bonus abuse or showing that someone is illegally making proxy wagers across state lines.—
Dan Bernstein,
Sportico.com,
16 Oct. 2025
-
As naive as that may sound in a world where so many self-evident rights and wrongs are being routinely, dishonestly evaluated and reevaluated, the series elevates simple truths in ways that are downright inspirational.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
4 Aug. 2025
Adverb
-
In other words, the obvious consequences of artificially boosting worker pay beyond market rates came to pass.—
Editorial,
Boston Herald,
6 Apr. 2026
-
This includes the sobering reality that artificially fabricated strands can be blended into the bunch, that not all human hair is created equal, and most hair does not all originate from the same donor or arrive in the same caliber of quality.—
Noel Cymone Walker,
StyleCaster,
1 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
His baritone vocals are well presented, falling neatly into the frequency range the speaker likes to emphasize, though they are unnaturally boosted in some of his lowest notes.—
Mark Knapp,
PC Magazine,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Some of the earliest sculptures ever depict naked women with unnaturally exaggerated breasts, hips and pubic triangles, but scholars still disagree about how to interpret them.—
Anna Swartwood House,
The Conversation,
2 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
So begins a cycle of financial pressure, entrepreneurial hurdles, and major crimes committed out of desperation that cannily blurs the line between legitimate business strategy and the art of the con.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
11 Mar. 2026
-
His presence is so recessive that the resulting footage, however cannily composed, looks, for the most part, like it was made by an unattended surveillance camera.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
19 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Deceptively.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deceptively. Accessed 9 Apr. 2026.
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