as in deceptive
tending or having power to deceive
the misleading text of the advertisement would like you to believe that you're getting something for nothing
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in deceiving
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of misleading
Luke Fountain,
CNBC,
3 July 2026
The charge alleges a person knowingly defrauded another by using false or misleading information to obtain money, property, credit or a loan.
—
Darrell Smith,
Sacbee.com,
2 July 2026
Opponents of Amendment 5 have flatly called the advertisement misleading or false.
—
Kacen Bayless,
Kansas City Star,
1 July 2026
When looking at Ferrari’s weekend, Saturday’s qualifying painted a somewhat misleading picture.
—
Madeline Coleman,
New York Times,
1 July 2026
But anti-hunger advocates say that description is misleading, and could threaten food assistance for millions of low-income families.
—
Aimee Picchi,
CBS News,
29 June 2026
Second, the implication that plastic surgeons are performing gender-affirming surgery on children, as the title of the position statement suggests, is misleading.
—
Kavitha Ranganathan,
STAT,
29 June 2026
According to the report, many creators failed to disclose they were being compensated, some videos used staged or misleading materials suggesting large profits, and overseas workers helped distribute the content to American audiences.
—
Rena Rowe,
The Washington Examiner,
26 June 2026
But that can be misleading because teams had such an easy time attacking them through the air.
—
Rick Stroud,
The Orlando Sentinel,
26 June 2026
Joe Árvai,
The Conversation,
22 June 2026
The unsealing of the disciplinary findings came one day after the Pennsylvania Supreme Court sharply rebuked Krasner’s office for misleading courts, withholding evidence, and violating its duty of candor in multiple efforts to overturn murder convictions.
—
Kaelan Deese,
The Washington Examiner,
19 June 2026
The New Mexico Department of Justice is seeking nearly $1 billion from Facebook parent Meta after a New Mexico jury last month found the tech giant liable for endangering children and misleading the public about the safety of its platforms.
—
Alexandra Koch,
FOXNews.com,
17 June 2026
The deaths of innocent Americans, and misleading the public on the rationale for their deaths, played a role in her departure.
—
Gary Franks,
Hartford Courant,
17 June 2026
Florida’s attorney general on Monday said the state is suing TikTok, accusing the social media company of violating state law, misleading parents and exposing children to harmful and addictive content.
—
Skyler Shepard,
Sun Sentinel,
15 June 2026
Two months after the festival collapsed, McFarland was charged with federal wire fraud for misleading investors about Fyre Festival’s finances.
—
Serena Turner,
Vanity Fair,
15 June 2026
So British officials spread the story that their pilots were eating large amounts of carrots to explain their sharp night vision, misleading the enemy into thinking diet, not technology, was behind the success.
—
Samantha Agate,
Charlotte Observer,
15 June 2026
Chinese regulators accused leading e-commerce platforms of misleading marketing tactics ahead of 618, the country’s second-largest annual shopping bonanza.
—
J.d. Capelouto,
semafor.com,
11 June 2026
Adjective
Democrats on the House Natural Resources Committee released a report this week criticizing the president and Freedom 250, accusing it of diverting funds and misleading sponsors.
—
Luke Fountain,
CNBC,
3 July 2026
The charge alleges a person knowingly defrauded another by using false or misleading information to obtain money, property, credit or a loan.
—
Darrell Smith,
Sacbee.com,
2 July 2026
Opponents of Amendment 5 have flatly called the advertisement misleading or false.
—
Kacen Bayless,
Kansas City Star,
1 July 2026
When looking at Ferrari’s weekend, Saturday’s qualifying painted a somewhat misleading picture.
—
Madeline Coleman,
New York Times,
1 July 2026
But anti-hunger advocates say that description is misleading, and could threaten food assistance for millions of low-income families.
—
Aimee Picchi,
CBS News,
29 June 2026
Second, the implication that plastic surgeons are performing gender-affirming surgery on children, as the title of the position statement suggests, is misleading.
—
Kavitha Ranganathan,
STAT,
29 June 2026
According to the report, many creators failed to disclose they were being compensated, some videos used staged or misleading materials suggesting large profits, and overseas workers helped distribute the content to American audiences.
—
Rena Rowe,
The Washington Examiner,
26 June 2026
But that can be misleading because teams had such an easy time attacking them through the air.
—
Rick Stroud,
The Orlando Sentinel,
26 June 2026
Verb
Why misinformation works and how to disable it Climate misinformation ranges from misleading to absurd.
—
Joe Árvai,
The Conversation,
22 June 2026
The unsealing of the disciplinary findings came one day after the Pennsylvania Supreme Court sharply rebuked Krasner’s office for misleading courts, withholding evidence, and violating its duty of candor in multiple efforts to overturn murder convictions.
—
Kaelan Deese,
The Washington Examiner,
19 June 2026
The New Mexico Department of Justice is seeking nearly $1 billion from Facebook parent Meta after a New Mexico jury last month found the tech giant liable for endangering children and misleading the public about the safety of its platforms.
—
Alexandra Koch,
FOXNews.com,
17 June 2026
The deaths of innocent Americans, and misleading the public on the rationale for their deaths, played a role in her departure.
—
Gary Franks,
Hartford Courant,
17 June 2026
Florida’s attorney general on Monday said the state is suing TikTok, accusing the social media company of violating state law, misleading parents and exposing children to harmful and addictive content.
—
Skyler Shepard,
Sun Sentinel,
15 June 2026
Two months after the festival collapsed, McFarland was charged with federal wire fraud for misleading investors about Fyre Festival’s finances.
—
Serena Turner,
Vanity Fair,
15 June 2026
So British officials spread the story that their pilots were eating large amounts of carrots to explain their sharp night vision, misleading the enemy into thinking diet, not technology, was behind the success.
—
Samantha Agate,
Charlotte Observer,
15 June 2026
Chinese regulators accused leading e-commerce platforms of misleading marketing tactics ahead of 618, the country’s second-largest annual shopping bonanza.
—
J.d. Capelouto,
semafor.com,
11 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for misleading
Adjective
-
Shadow fleet vessels disguise their identity and purpose through a broad range of deceptive activities, including spoofing their locations and destinations.
-
The complaint alleged deceptive advertising and other misconduct.
Verb
-
Appearance, though, can be deceiving, but luckily, this shed is still packed with smart features and a clever design that will keep all your belongings safe.
-
Here, however, the joke is that appearances can be deceiving — or to be more specific, that trying to act like a character in a movie is a reckless, unwise thing to do.
Adjective
-
The charge alleges a person knowingly defrauded another by using false or misleading information to obtain money, property, credit or a loan.
-
Opponents of Amendment 5 have flatly called the advertisement misleading or false.
Verb
-
The schemes involve a predator pretending to be a teenager online and tricking victims into sending illicit photos of themselves.
-
Such techniques typically work by tricking the user into approving a request to approve a device owned by the attacker instead.
Verb
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Speaking on Harvard Business School’s The Founder Mindset podcast, hosted by senior lecturer and serial entrepreneur Reza Satchu, the Shark Tank investor argued that anyone trying to balance a young company against the rest of their life is fooling themselves.
-
The other is fooling humans, particularly the dwindling number of journalists, critics, and other gatekeepers who are still capable of conferring legitimacy by paying attention.
Cite this Entry
“Misleading.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/misleading. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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