1
as in misleading
tending or having power to deceive
in his deceptive answer about the vehicle's history, the salesman said that the used car had never been hit by another car
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in fraudulent
given to or marked by cheating and deception
a mail-order firm indicted for deceptive business practices
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in deception
the inclination or practice of misleading others through lies or trickery
numerous complaints about the deceptiveness of the ad campaign
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 deceptive
Courtney Reagan,scott Zamost, CNBC, 9 May 2025
California’s attorney general, Rob Bonta, filed a suit against ExxonMobil last year that, in part, accuses the oil giant of deceptive claims regarding chemical recycling, which the company disputes.
—Susanne Rust, Los Angeles Times, 22 May 2025
During the defense’s cross-examination of Kid Cudi, lawyers representing Combs portrayed Ventura as deceptive of both men.
—Conor Murray, Forbes.com, 22 May 2025
Get my picks for the best 2025 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android and iOS devices.
2) Avoid installing apps from untrusted sources: One of the key ways malware like SuperCard X spreads is through deceptive apps that victims are persuaded to install.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 20 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for deceptive
Adjective
In strategic theft, criminals use deceptive tactics to trick shippers, brokers or carriers into handing cargo or legitimate payments, sometimes both, over to them instead of the legitimate companies.
—Courtney Reagan,scott Zamost, CNBC, 9 May 2025
California’s attorney general, Rob Bonta, filed a suit against ExxonMobil last year that, in part, accuses the oil giant of deceptive claims regarding chemical recycling, which the company disputes.
—Susanne Rust, Los Angeles Times, 22 May 2025
During the defense’s cross-examination of Kid Cudi, lawyers representing Combs portrayed Ventura as deceptive of both men.
—Conor Murray, Forbes.com, 22 May 2025
Get my picks for the best 2025 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android and iOS devices.
2) Avoid installing apps from untrusted sources: One of the key ways malware like SuperCard X spreads is through deceptive apps that victims are persuaded to install.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 20 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for deceptive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deceptive
Adjective
-
On May 30, 2025, a Pennsylvania federal court refused NFL player agent Todd France’s request to vacate a December 2023 arbitration decision which ordered France to pay over $800,000 in damages to rival agent Jason Bernstein and which excoriated France for fraudulent conduct.—
Chris Deubert,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2025
-
The couple were convicted of conspiring to defraud community banks out of more than $30 million in fraudulent loans as well as tax evasion and sentenced to 12 and seven years, respectively.—
Brie Stimson,
FOXNews.com,
30 May 2025
Noun
-
But these seductions or deceptions are canceled when the work confronts us with the photographic records of the performative procedure itself—and not only by making the photograph an integral component, the dialectical complement to the material sculptural production.—
Benjamin H. D. Buchloh,
Artforum,
1 June 2025
-
He’s got some deception on the puck and does a good job holding onto it to wait for secondary options to open up, but slows the game down too much.—
Scott Wheeler,
New York Times,
29 May 2025
Adjective
-
Their accountant filed two false corporate tax returns, claiming one of the couple’s firms earned no money in 2015 and 2016.—
Howard Gleckman,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2025
-
Take off eye makeup and false lashes before sleep as well to keep the area clean and avoid irritating the delicate tissue around the eye, Lappin said.—
Kameryn Griesser,
CNN Money,
30 May 2025
Adjective
-
Patti LuPone had a shady reaction to questions about Audra McDonald in a new interview.—
Joey Nolfi Published,
EW.com,
27 May 2025
-
John Frankenheimer’s gritty heist flick is packed with shifting loyalties, shady motives and not one, but two, figure-skating set pieces.—
Gráinne O'Hara Belluomo,
Footwear News,
26 May 2025
Noun
-
None of these spring explorations of sisterly deceit and self-deception has been able to surpass Apple TV+’s Bad Sisters as the recent genre peak.—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
28 May 2025
-
Starring Tom Cruise, the movies are loaded with action, deceit and globe-spanning adventures – everything a good spy film should be.—
Keith Langston,
People.com,
24 May 2025
Adjective
-
Harvard’s dishonest expert on honesty is a poignant symbol of a far larger problem in academia: ideological allegiance replacing the quest for truth.—
Andrew Follett,
National Review,
31 May 2025
-
On one hand, the inquiry appeared to play into his rivals’ criticisms of Mr. Cuomo as a dishonest broker, who has been accused of putting nursing home residents at risk during the coronavirus pandemic and seeking to cover it up.—
Nicholas Fandos,
New York Times,
21 May 2025
Adjective
-
Throughout the film, newspaper headlines and snippets of TV contextualize the story against the backdrop of anti-Vietnam demonstrations, colleges retaliating to student campus protests and aggressive policing, along with glimpses of Richard Nixon’s crooked grin.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
23 May 2025
-
The moon's insides are crooked thanks to the near side being some 306 degrees Fahrenheit hotter at depth than its counterpart on the lunar far side.—
Ian Randall,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 May 2025
Noun
-
What did Todd and Julie Chrisley go to prison for? After nearly a decade on air, the pair faced legal trouble for a number of bank and tax fraud offenses.—
Solcyré Burga,
Time,
28 May 2025
-
On Monday, the president pardoned Scott Jenkins, a former Virginia sheriff, who was recently sentenced to 10 years in prison after being convicted on charges of conspiracy, fraud and bribery.—
Gabe Whisnant,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Deceptive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deceptive. Accessed 7 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share