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

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 mislead She was arraigned and charged with operating under the influence causing serious bodily injury, misleading a police investigation, and leaving the scene of a motor vehicle crash causing personal injury. Rick Sobey, Boston Herald, 24 June 2025 Sometimes the aim was to amuse, but mostly, the idea was to mislead voters or throw a wrench into the wheels of democracy. Scott Thuman, Baltimore Sun, 20 June 2025 Unless significant number of Republicans break from this objective, don’t be misled about claims of major disagreements over the big, beautiful bill. Richard McGahey, Forbes.com, 16 June 2025 The Federal Trade Commission argued that Garvey unlawfully misled consumers, but the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit disagreed. Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 16 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for mislead
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mislead
Verb
  • The person is not trying to deceive or control, but the behavior still affects others and requires self awareness and growth to correct.
    Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 27 June 2025
  • Where was this sense of urgency when the mullahs were attempting to deceive U.N. inspectors while sandbagging U.S. efforts to diplomatically scuttle the country’s nuclear efforts?
    Editorial, Boston Herald, 21 June 2025
Verb
  • Even though baby clothes and newborn diapers feel too tiny to wreak havoc, don’t be fooled!
    Briana Feigon, Architectural Digest, 19 June 2025
  • Perhaps that’s what fans were griping about last year — that Burns didn’t have it anymore and Slavin was papering over all those issues, enough to fool this model.
    Dom Luszczyszyn, New York Times, 18 June 2025
Verb
  • That was the crux of the latest Gmail attack, tricking users into sharing codes.
    Zak Doffman, Forbes.com, 23 June 2025
  • But rather than trying to trick users into heading to a fake website, the visitor is instead taken to the brand's legitimate website, with a small but dangerous difference.
    Will McCurdy, PC Magazine, 21 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Mislead.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mislead. Accessed 5 Jul. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on mislead

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