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
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of misleading
Nicole Blanchard, Idaho Statesman, 19 Apr. 2026
California has strong consumer protection laws that prohibit false and misleading advertising.
—Susan Shelley, Oc Register, 18 Apr. 2026
The misleading headlines, bias and omissions in the story are stirring up division in our community.
—Naperville Sun, Chicago Tribune, 17 Apr. 2026
Everyone agreed that the post was, at best, deliberately misleading.
—Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 17 Apr. 2026
While an analysis of cases from 2021-2024 found the average settlement to be approximately $55,056, this figure can be misleading.
—William Jones, Sacbee.com, 17 Apr. 2026
Something could feel uncertain or misleading.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 16 Apr. 2026
Eszterhas made headlines before the movie even came out when his spec script earned him $3 million for what was supposedly about 13 days of work — though Eszterhas said that timeline is misleading.
—Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 15 Apr. 2026
But the effectiveness of these cereals has been a point of contention, to the degree where the company faced several class action lawsuits alleging that the advertisements of health benefits were misleading.
—Heather Bushman, USA Today, 15 Apr. 2026
Jill Lawless, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2026
The city has pushed back on those concerns, calling claims about reduced coverage misleading and emphasizing continued investment in equipment, staffing, and fire stations.
—Daniel Wilkerson, CBS News, 14 Apr. 2026
Defendants misleading sales and advertising practices, along with bifurcating sales and marketing against the operation of the rental Program and debt enforcement, allowed Defendants to offload their supply of aging and stagnant inventory at an unlawful premium.
—Nate Anderson, ArsTechnica, 13 Apr. 2026
Opened in 1881, Edinburgh’s oldest hotel comprises five Georgian townhouses built in the 18th century in the city’s somewhat-misleading-sounding New Town.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Apr. 2026
In 2016, Ackman stood by former investor darling Valeant Pharmaceuticals, even as criticism mounted over the company’s aggressive drug price hikes and misleading SEC disclosures.
—Jacqueline Munis, Fortune, 7 Apr. 2026
Continue reading … ‘ABOMINATION’ — Turning Point USA slams Daily Mail over misleading Charlie Kirk murder coverage.
—FOXNews.com, 1 Apr. 2026
The day prior, in New Mexico, Meta was found liable for endangering children and misleading users about the safety of its platforms and ordered to pay $375 million in civil penalties.
—Yi-Jin Yu, ABC News, 27 Mar. 2026
The New Mexico court decision requires Meta to pay $375 million for misleading users.
—Lia Russell
march 25, Sacbee.com, 26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
Idahoans United has been collecting signatures for about 10 months after suing the Idaho attorney general and secretary of state over the draft ballot title and financial impact information that the nonprofit said was misleading.
—Nicole Blanchard, Idaho Statesman, 19 Apr. 2026
California has strong consumer protection laws that prohibit false and misleading advertising.
—Susan Shelley, Oc Register, 18 Apr. 2026
The misleading headlines, bias and omissions in the story are stirring up division in our community.
—Naperville Sun, Chicago Tribune, 17 Apr. 2026
Everyone agreed that the post was, at best, deliberately misleading.
—Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 17 Apr. 2026
While an analysis of cases from 2021-2024 found the average settlement to be approximately $55,056, this figure can be misleading.
—William Jones, Sacbee.com, 17 Apr. 2026
Something could feel uncertain or misleading.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 16 Apr. 2026
Eszterhas made headlines before the movie even came out when his spec script earned him $3 million for what was supposedly about 13 days of work — though Eszterhas said that timeline is misleading.
—Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 15 Apr. 2026
But the effectiveness of these cereals has been a point of contention, to the degree where the company faced several class action lawsuits alleging that the advertisements of health benefits were misleading.
—Heather Bushman, USA Today, 15 Apr. 2026
Verb
The Lib Dems asked the prime minister’s ethics adviser to investigate whether Starmer broke the government code of conduct by misleading Parliament.
—Jill Lawless, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2026
The city has pushed back on those concerns, calling claims about reduced coverage misleading and emphasizing continued investment in equipment, staffing, and fire stations.
—Daniel Wilkerson, CBS News, 14 Apr. 2026
Defendants misleading sales and advertising practices, along with bifurcating sales and marketing against the operation of the rental Program and debt enforcement, allowed Defendants to offload their supply of aging and stagnant inventory at an unlawful premium.
—Nate Anderson, ArsTechnica, 13 Apr. 2026
Opened in 1881, Edinburgh’s oldest hotel comprises five Georgian townhouses built in the 18th century in the city’s somewhat-misleading-sounding New Town.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Apr. 2026
In 2016, Ackman stood by former investor darling Valeant Pharmaceuticals, even as criticism mounted over the company’s aggressive drug price hikes and misleading SEC disclosures.
—Jacqueline Munis, Fortune, 7 Apr. 2026
Continue reading … ‘ABOMINATION’ — Turning Point USA slams Daily Mail over misleading Charlie Kirk murder coverage.
—FOXNews.com, 1 Apr. 2026
The day prior, in New Mexico, Meta was found liable for endangering children and misleading users about the safety of its platforms and ordered to pay $375 million in civil penalties.
—Yi-Jin Yu, ABC News, 27 Mar. 2026
The New Mexico court decision requires Meta to pay $375 million for misleading users.
—Lia Russell
march 25, Sacbee.com, 26 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for misleading
Adjective
-
There is a relaxing vibe about Hilton Head, and a lot of wedges in the hands of the best players, both of which can be deceptive.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
15 Apr. 2026
-
Anything else amounts to a deceptive user experience that can discourage users from visiting unfamiliar pages in the future.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Swalwell apparently did an excellent job deceiving those around him, including some congressional and campaign staffers who’d known him for years and worked closely with the seven-term lawmaker, day in, day out.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Apr. 2026
-
The Mets have a responsibility to protect their players by not throwing them under the bus, but there are ways to do that without trying to convince people that their eyes are deceiving them.—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
16 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
For me, the possible false note lay not in Aramayo’s performance but in the script.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Local police too, have stated that false posts circulating in WhatsApp groups, including claims of worker deaths and exaggerated reports of violence and arrests, have contributed to the escalation of unrest.—
Mayu Saini,
Footwear News,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
After tricking her way into her dream job, Liza discovers that disguising herself as a millennial and keeping her two lives separate is a job in and of itself.—
Andrew Walsh,
Entertainment Weekly,
5 Apr. 2026
-
Recall his central role in tricking immigrants in Texas to fly to Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts with empty promises of jobs.—
Howard L. Simon,
The Orlando Sentinel,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
But Baio says Kassotis has been fooling people for years.—
Erin Moriarty,
CBS News,
8 Mar. 2026
-
Indeed, depth would only get in the way of the plot, which is primarily concerned with fooling you and fooling you again.—
Television Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Misleading.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/misleading. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.
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