Synonyms of lead one down the garden path

lead one down the garden path

phrase

variants also lead one up the garden path

as in trick

to cause to believe what is untrue

The suspect led the cops down the garden path with a series of misleading phone calls.

Synonyms & Similar Words

• trick
• deceive
• fool
• string along
• fake out
• suck in
• kid
• pull one's leg
• tease
• pull the wool over one's eyes
• have on
• do a number on
• con
• bluff
• mislead
• snooker
• hoax
• buffalo
• snow
• dupe
• hoodwink
• juggle
• gull
• misinform
• sting
• delude
• sucker
• spoof
• humbug
• gammon
• misguide
• bamboozle
• cozen
• take in
• cheat
• put on
• gaff
• beguile
• catch
• hornswoggle
• burn
• have
• stick
• defraud
• flimflam
• shortchange
• swindle
• skin
• gyp
• chisel
• fleece
• mulct
• hustle
• rook
• euchre
• bleed
• diddle
• squeeze

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• show up
• reveal
• expose
• uncover
• debunk
• unmask
• disclose
• tell
• undeceive
• divulge
• disillusion
• unveil
• uncloak
• disabuse
• disenchant