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
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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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of misleading
Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 6 Oct. 2025
The apparent protective effect of dopamine agonist drugs could also be misleading.
—Maria Morava, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Oct. 2025
Dalio also warned that the most misleading signals come near the top, where easy credit boosts spending, asset prices climb, unemployment falls.
—Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 4 Oct. 2025
Research shows that the marketing practices of commercial infant formula companies are predatory, pervasive and misleading.
—Ann Kellams, The Conversation, 2 Oct. 2025
Trump did not directly address the misleading narrative during his response.
—Callum Sutherland, Time, 1 Oct. 2025
Any insinuation to the contrary is misleading and irresponsible.
—Jake Allen, IndyStar, 1 Oct. 2025
To be fair, that number is slightly misleading.
—Shreyas Laddha, Kansas City Star, 30 Sep. 2025
Industry buzz suggesting that a subtle dip in mortgage rates could make a noteworthy difference for homebuyers is somewhat misleading.
—Jonathan Lansner, Oc Register, 29 Sep. 2025
Mandy Taheri, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Oct. 2025
Before taking a supplement, experts advise considering the potential for misleading health claims on the label.
—Stephanie Brown, Verywell Health, 7 Oct. 2025
But emphasizing misleading stats risks overshadowing the need to allocate resources for interventions where numbers are much higher.
—Joan Meiners, AZCentral.com, 29 Sep. 2025
Trump’s executive order pushes broader federal payment reforms This year, the IRS also reported a surge in questionable refund claims fueled by misleading social media posts and fraudulent practices.
—Miami Herald, 27 Sep. 2025
Seniors are often seeking to educate themselves and maintain independence, which may lead them to inaccurate or misleading medical information generated by AI.
—Suzi Morales, Parents, 25 Sep. 2025
Intentionally claiming otherwise means misleading the lender and breaking the terms of the loan agreement.
—Samantha Delouya, CNN Money, 25 Sep. 2025
Fake accounts, misleading checkmarks and smooth-talking profiles are everywhere, and not everyone knows how to spot them.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 23 Sep. 2025
The reality show, which continued its investigation of misleading online romances, spanned well over 200 episodes.
—Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 22 Sep. 2025
Adjective
Despite these accounts, Day offered a very different picture in an opinion piece published by The Oregonian on Sunday, arguing that national media coverage of Portland and its police paint a misleading and outdated picture.
—Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 6 Oct. 2025
The apparent protective effect of dopamine agonist drugs could also be misleading.
—Maria Morava, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Oct. 2025
Dalio also warned that the most misleading signals come near the top, where easy credit boosts spending, asset prices climb, unemployment falls.
—Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 4 Oct. 2025
Research shows that the marketing practices of commercial infant formula companies are predatory, pervasive and misleading.
—Ann Kellams, The Conversation, 2 Oct. 2025
Trump did not directly address the misleading narrative during his response.
—Callum Sutherland, Time, 1 Oct. 2025
Any insinuation to the contrary is misleading and irresponsible.
—Jake Allen, IndyStar, 1 Oct. 2025
To be fair, that number is slightly misleading.
—Shreyas Laddha, Kansas City Star, 30 Sep. 2025
Industry buzz suggesting that a subtle dip in mortgage rates could make a noteworthy difference for homebuyers is somewhat misleading.
—Jonathan Lansner, Oc Register, 29 Sep. 2025
Verb
The case accuses Comey of misleading investigators about authorizing leaks during his tenure at the FBI.
—Mandy Taheri, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Oct. 2025
Before taking a supplement, experts advise considering the potential for misleading health claims on the label.
—Stephanie Brown, Verywell Health, 7 Oct. 2025
But emphasizing misleading stats risks overshadowing the need to allocate resources for interventions where numbers are much higher.
—Joan Meiners, AZCentral.com, 29 Sep. 2025
Trump’s executive order pushes broader federal payment reforms This year, the IRS also reported a surge in questionable refund claims fueled by misleading social media posts and fraudulent practices.
—Miami Herald, 27 Sep. 2025
Seniors are often seeking to educate themselves and maintain independence, which may lead them to inaccurate or misleading medical information generated by AI.
—Suzi Morales, Parents, 25 Sep. 2025
Intentionally claiming otherwise means misleading the lender and breaking the terms of the loan agreement.
—Samantha Delouya, CNN Money, 25 Sep. 2025
Fake accounts, misleading checkmarks and smooth-talking profiles are everywhere, and not everyone knows how to spot them.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 23 Sep. 2025
The reality show, which continued its investigation of misleading online romances, spanned well over 200 episodes.
—Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 22 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for misleading
Adjective
-
Unboxed, these black silicone bands look unassuming, but their simplicity is deceptive.—
Laura Paddison,
CNN Money,
7 Oct. 2025
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The shuttering of the agency that enforces laws against anticompetitive and deceptive business behavior is one small part of the national gridlock that began on Wednesday and could result in the furlough of 750,000 federal workers and delay air travel.—
Reuters,
USA Today,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Two culinary pros gave us the real scoop about how certain vanilla bean ice creams have been deceiving us all these years.—
Karla Walsh,
Better Homes & Gardens,
24 Sep. 2025
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Opening arguments are set to begin Tuesday's in the FTC's lawsuit against Amazon for allegedly deceiving tens of millions of customers into signing up for Prime and thwarting their attempts to cancel it.—
Matthew J. Belvedere,Jeff Marks,
CNBC,
23 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Evaluating defamation claims where the report contains demonstrably false factual assertions.—
Tim Reynolds,
Fortune,
3 Oct. 2025
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However, as several independent experts interviewed by NPR note, that claim is false.—
Scott Neuman,
NPR,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Malware has evolved to target macOS more aggressively than ever and many attacks now rely on tricking users rather than breaking through security software.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
6 Oct. 2025
-
Brood parasites such as cuckoos lay their eggs in other birds’ nests, tricking the hosts into caring for their offspring at the expense of their own.—
Matthew Martin,
semafor.com,
6 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Instead of fooling millions of people individually, attackers need only to compromise one AI model to reach millions at once.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
20 Sep. 2025
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Your press release isn’t fooling anyone.—
Roberta Matuson,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Misleading.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/misleading. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
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