Synonyms of mislead

mislead

verb

ˌmis-ˈlēd 

as in to deceive

to cause to believe what is untrue

the coral snake's attractive colors can mislead you into thinking that it is harmless

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb mislead differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of mislead are beguile, deceive, and delude. While all these words mean "to lead astray or frustrate usually by underhandedness," mislead implies a leading astray that may or may not be intentional.

I was misled by the confusing sign

When might beguile be a better fit than mislead?

In some situations, the words beguile and mislead are roughly equivalent. However, beguile stresses the use of charm and persuasion in deceiving.

was beguiled by false promises

When could deceive be used to replace mislead?

While in some cases nearly identical to mislead, deceive implies imposing a false idea or belief that causes ignorance, bewilderment, or helplessness.

tried to deceive me about the cost

In what contexts can delude take the place of mislead?

While the synonyms delude and mislead are close in meaning, delude implies deceiving so thoroughly as to obscure the truth.

we were deluded into thinking we were safe

Examples of mislead in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Arizona politics:Tom Horne misled lawmakers during audit committee hearing What time is the vice presidential debate in Arizona? —Zach Bradshaw, The Arizona Republic, 1 Oct. 2024

As a result, readers of the second-generation post are misled, which is what happened here. —Joedy McCreary, USA TODAY, 27 Sep. 2024

The suit similarly accuses ExxonMobil of misleading the public about the recyclability of plastic. —Lisa Song, ProPublica, 27 Sep. 2024

The company is embroiled in numerous lawsuits over the features, including from Tesla investors who claim they were misled. —Andy Kalmowitz, Quartz, 1 Oct. 2024