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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of misleading
Julia Morlino, Travel + Leisure, 15 Mar. 2026
Despite the backlash, DeRosa has insisted the criticism has created misleading narratives about his handling of the team and his understanding of the tournament format.
—Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 14 Mar. 2026
At the same time, the board charged Chaudhry with professional incompetence and knowingly making misleading, deceptive, untrue, or fraudulent representations in the practice of medicine.
—Clark Kauffman, Iowa Capital Dispatch, 13 Mar. 2026
Some found the whole Jolene analogy more misleading than useful.
—Marie-Rose Sheinerman, The Atlantic, 13 Mar. 2026
The statement about the gun was technically true—most modern pistols are—but misleading.
—Ruby Cramer, New Yorker, 12 Mar. 2026
This highly misleading chart says so!
—Jim Edwards, Fortune, 12 Mar. 2026
Myth and reality in military AI Science fiction tales of military AI are often misleading.
—Jon R. Lindsay, The Conversation, 11 Mar. 2026
But that perception can be misleading.
—Kathleen Ferraro, Verywell Health, 11 Mar. 2026
A.d. Quig, Chicago Tribune, 13 Mar. 2026
The goal is to stop scammers from hijacking accounts through tricks like fake talent competitions or misleading QR codes.
—Alexei Oreskovic, Fortune, 12 Mar. 2026
The 2026 list also includes ghost preparers and misleading tax advice shared online, including content that pushes improper credit claims.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 12 Mar. 2026
Prosecutors accused him of siphoning millions from a ticket-resale business, and misleading investors, in order to pay off gambling debts.
—Mckay Coppins, The Atlantic, 12 Mar. 2026
The shadow medical groups behind GLP-1 telehealth operations The Food and Drug Administration is cracking down on companies that market compounded GLP-1 obesity and diabetes medications with misleading claims.
—Mario Aguilar, STAT, 12 Mar. 2026
Courtesy Janis Hayes Some patient lawsuits have accused cosmetic surgery companies of hiring doctors who lacked adequate training or had troubled pasts, and of using high-pressure sales tactics and misleading advertising pitches that downplay safety risks, federal and state court records show.
—Fred Schulte, NBC news, 10 Mar. 2026
Hims hit back, calling Novo’s comments misleading.
—Naomi Kresge, Bloomberg, 9 Mar. 2026
Residents are now being inundated with messaging through mailers, television and text campaigns that are misleading at best and false at worst.
—Andrea Levine O’Rourke, Sun Sentinel, 8 Mar. 2026
Adjective
Alas, the misleading, cold-in-the-morning, warm-at-night weather has finally arrived.
—Julia Morlino, Travel + Leisure, 15 Mar. 2026
Despite the backlash, DeRosa has insisted the criticism has created misleading narratives about his handling of the team and his understanding of the tournament format.
—Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 14 Mar. 2026
At the same time, the board charged Chaudhry with professional incompetence and knowingly making misleading, deceptive, untrue, or fraudulent representations in the practice of medicine.
—Clark Kauffman, Iowa Capital Dispatch, 13 Mar. 2026
Some found the whole Jolene analogy more misleading than useful.
—Marie-Rose Sheinerman, The Atlantic, 13 Mar. 2026
The statement about the gun was technically true—most modern pistols are—but misleading.
—Ruby Cramer, New Yorker, 12 Mar. 2026
This highly misleading chart says so!
—Jim Edwards, Fortune, 12 Mar. 2026
Myth and reality in military AI Science fiction tales of military AI are often misleading.
—Jon R. Lindsay, The Conversation, 11 Mar. 2026
But that perception can be misleading.
—Kathleen Ferraro, Verywell Health, 11 Mar. 2026
Verb
His campaign has also faulted Hynes for misleading statements about the office’s improvements and Kaegi’s own home bill.
—A.d. Quig, Chicago Tribune, 13 Mar. 2026
The goal is to stop scammers from hijacking accounts through tricks like fake talent competitions or misleading QR codes.
—Alexei Oreskovic, Fortune, 12 Mar. 2026
The 2026 list also includes ghost preparers and misleading tax advice shared online, including content that pushes improper credit claims.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 12 Mar. 2026
Prosecutors accused him of siphoning millions from a ticket-resale business, and misleading investors, in order to pay off gambling debts.
—Mckay Coppins, The Atlantic, 12 Mar. 2026
The shadow medical groups behind GLP-1 telehealth operations The Food and Drug Administration is cracking down on companies that market compounded GLP-1 obesity and diabetes medications with misleading claims.
—Mario Aguilar, STAT, 12 Mar. 2026
Courtesy Janis Hayes Some patient lawsuits have accused cosmetic surgery companies of hiring doctors who lacked adequate training or had troubled pasts, and of using high-pressure sales tactics and misleading advertising pitches that downplay safety risks, federal and state court records show.
—Fred Schulte, NBC news, 10 Mar. 2026
Hims hit back, calling Novo’s comments misleading.
—Naomi Kresge, Bloomberg, 9 Mar. 2026
Residents are now being inundated with messaging through mailers, television and text campaigns that are misleading at best and false at worst.
—Andrea Levine O’Rourke, Sun Sentinel, 8 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for misleading
Adjective
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Erin Lee Opponents, however, call the measure extreme and its language deceptive.—
Austen Erblat,
CBS News,
18 Mar. 2026
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Centers' growing power Previous efforts in California, Colorado and Vermont to regulate crisis pregnancy centers arose from concerns over allegations of deceptive and misleading practices and questions about patient data privacy.—
Jazmin Orozco Rodriguez,
NPR,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Nope, that's not your eyes deceiving you.—
Christina Perrier,
InStyle,
15 Mar. 2026
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There is the belief, one expressed by Payton, that free agents can be deceiving.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
11 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The problem is that such inferences are often wildly speculative and will almost certainly lead to false convictions or arrests.—
Graham Hillard,
The Washington Examiner,
20 Mar. 2026
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The defendants and company executives allegedly prepared false documents and communications to show that the company was the end user of the servers.—
Michael Sinkewicz,
FOXNews.com,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
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San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins and Santa Cruz County District Attorney Jeff Rosell issued a joint consumer alert on Wednesday describing the scheme, which appears to be part of a nationwide scam tricking people into making payments.—
Aldo Toledo,
San Francisco Chronicle,
18 Mar. 2026
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The peach-plum gradient gown is the creation of Dutch fashion designer Iris van Herpen, whose high-fantasy sculptural gowns emphasize movement and eye-tricking form, often to gravity-defying effect.—
Jacqui Palumbo,
CNN Money,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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But Baio says Kassotis has been fooling people for years.—
Erin Moriarty,
CBS News,
8 Mar. 2026
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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 22 Mar. 2026.
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