deceptively

adverb

as in falsely

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of deceptively For the final event, Tommerup plans to do something deceptively simple. — Miguel Sirgado, Miami Herald, 8 Oct. 2026 The paper, led by a researcher named Evan Hubinger, described an experiment in which Anthropic’s team had deliberately trained AI models to behave deceptively. — Kevin Roose, Vanity Fair, 7 Oct. 2026 Human hands are deceptively complex pieces of bioengineering that are capable of fine motor control, tactile sensing, and strength. — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 26 Sep. 2026 The question for me is whether or not Lloyd will also manage to capture the melancholy of a deceptively serious play, notwithstanding its reputation. — Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 23 Sep. 2026 These lacy white flowers look deceptively similar—but mistaking one for the other can have severe consequences. — Sj McShane, Martha Stewart, 18 Sep. 2026 In deceptively plain diction, the hurdle of one love relationship provokes an exploration of desire and belonging. — Literary Hub, 17 Sep. 2026 The numbers behind the melt are both mind-bogglingly huge and deceptively small. — ABC News, 16 Sep. 2026 Now, the legal system is reminding us about a deceptively simple question. — Morey Haber, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deceptively
  1. falsely
  2. artfully
  3. deceitfully
  4. dishonestly
  5. artificially
  6. unnaturally
  7. cannily
  8. hypocritically
Adverb
  • Villarreal Ortiz obtained permanent residence by falsely identifying his aunt, a naturalized American citizen, as his mother and later concealed that deception when applying for citizenship, prosecutors say.
    — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 9 Oct. 2026
  • According to the Public Defender's Office, officers falsely claimed that Gibson had assaulted them by biting, punching, and wrapping a radio cord around an officer's neck, claims later refuted by video evidence.
    — Senior Editor, CBS News, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of falsely
Adverb
  • Though Simone Rocha’s pink fluff of formal attire from her spring 2027 collection was full of playful romance, Edgar-Jones’s structured Chloé design artfully contrasted with a past era’s traditional adoption of romantic verve.
    — Julia Teti, Footwear News, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Clearing the air, artfully, is an opportunity to draw a group closer together.
    — Margaret Wappler, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of artfully
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
Definition of deceitfully
Adverb
  • This critical and necessary dialogue is then dishonestly framed as being anti-Israel.
    — Jack Dunn, Variety, 22 Aug. 2026
  • In that lawsuit, State Farm said that the record only showed a disagreement over the cause of roof damage, and that there was no evidence the company had acted dishonestly.
    — Michael Copley, NPR, 28 Apr. 2026
Definition of dishonestly
Adverb
  • Mike Smith, who pleaded guilty, was accused of making millions in royalties off a scheme that involved using bots to artificially inflate plays of his songs.
    — Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 7 Oct. 2026
  • During the financial crisis, regulators became aware that some banks were making artificially low Libor submissions to make their institutions seem more creditworthy, or submitting fake numbers to achieve a rate that better suited them.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of artificially
Adverb
  • Experts back then warned that as trains got faster, passengers would suffocate, or that looking at unnaturally fast-moving scenery could permanently compromise visual processing.
    — Mark P. Mills, Washington Post, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Naturally—or, rather, unnaturally—the look includes total pubic hair removal.
    — Valerie Monroe, Allure, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of unnaturally
Adverb
  • The idea might seem clever, as if the artist has cannily illustrated how the lovey-dovey notion of romance and family is hokey, brain-dead, false.
    — Carlos Valladares, ARTnews.com, 11 Sep. 2026
  • In her depiction of the exhausting vigilance this reality required, through a second-person voice cannily implicating her reader, Rankine created a new language to identify a problem as old as the United States.
    — Charles Finch, The Atlantic, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of cannily
Adverb
  • Takeshita came across a vaunted screwdriver in the ring as Don Callis hypocritically called him a degenerate.
    — Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Trump hypocritically voted by mail himself in a recent Florida special election.
    — George Skelton, Mercury News, 10 Apr. 2026
Definition of hypocritically

Browse Nearby Words

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Cite this Entry

“Deceptively.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deceptively. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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