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
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 misleading
Walker Armstrong, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 June 2026
He was also booked on suspicion of making false or misleading statements to a public servant, per the records.
—Angel Saunders, PEOPLE, 6 June 2026
Connelly cautioned that fasting numbers alone can be misleading.
—Samantha Agate, Sacbee.com, 4 June 2026
What's also true is that the ratings figures the NBA and NBC are promoting are highly misleading.
—Bobby Burack Outkick, FOXNews.com, 3 June 2026
Non-toxic, non-stick cookware promises exactly that, but the labels — and the marketing terms on them — can be very misleading.
—Ryan Brennan
june 2, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 June 2026
However, while yellow journalism often resulted in articles that were exaggerated or misleading, TMZ usually takes pains to be rigorous and accurate in its reporting.
—Angelica Kalika, The Conversation, 2 June 2026
But lawmakers this week considered the mention of a trust fund misleading to voters, because there was no guarantee that future legislatures and governors will put any money in it.
—Lawrence Mower, Miami Herald, 2 June 2026
The case began in 2022, when the CFTC sued Gemini alleging that the company made false or misleading statements to regulators in 2017 while seeking approval for a bitcoin futures product.
—Tanaya MacHeel, CNBC, 2 June 2026
Colleen Cronin, Boston Herald, 7 June 2026
Last month, Superior Court Judge Gassia Apkarian found that the ads violated California’s false advertising law by disseminating public statements about the disposal of property — specifically vehicle donations — that were misleading by omission.
—Francie Ebert, NBC news, 6 June 2026
Republicans raise ballot fairness concerns The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) has also raised concerns, sending a letter to Alaska election officials arguing that similar names could violate state rules against confusing or misleading ballot designations.
—Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 4 June 2026
The following month, Murrell quit his job after two decades as SNP chief executive and took responsibility for misleading the news media about the collapse in party membership.
—ABC News, 31 May 2026
Otherwise, journalism may be perceived as misleading the audience, prompting people to turn to other sources of information that may be tainted by self-interest rather than public interest.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 May 2026
But the problem isn’t just misleading math.
—Matt Peterson, CNBC, 27 May 2026
Presto Automation received an SEC fraud charge for misleading investors about its AI autonomy claims.
—Lily Mae Lazarus, Fortune, 26 May 2026
It is being updated continuously as new information comes in and has built-in quality-control features that make note of misleading data.
—Noah Lyons, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 May 2026
Adjective
Manny Salazar, the Police Department’s public information officer and former drone team member, said the 46-drone figure is misleading.
—Walker Armstrong, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 June 2026
He was also booked on suspicion of making false or misleading statements to a public servant, per the records.
—Angel Saunders, PEOPLE, 6 June 2026
Connelly cautioned that fasting numbers alone can be misleading.
—Samantha Agate, Sacbee.com, 4 June 2026
What's also true is that the ratings figures the NBA and NBC are promoting are highly misleading.
—Bobby Burack Outkick, FOXNews.com, 3 June 2026
Non-toxic, non-stick cookware promises exactly that, but the labels — and the marketing terms on them — can be very misleading.
—Ryan Brennan
june 2, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 June 2026
However, while yellow journalism often resulted in articles that were exaggerated or misleading, TMZ usually takes pains to be rigorous and accurate in its reporting.
—Angelica Kalika, The Conversation, 2 June 2026
But lawmakers this week considered the mention of a trust fund misleading to voters, because there was no guarantee that future legislatures and governors will put any money in it.
—Lawrence Mower, Miami Herald, 2 June 2026
The case began in 2022, when the CFTC sued Gemini alleging that the company made false or misleading statements to regulators in 2017 while seeking approval for a bitcoin futures product.
—Tanaya MacHeel, CNBC, 2 June 2026
Verb
The six months Tran received for pleading guilty to larceny of a firearm, misleading law enforcement in a criminal investigation, and filing an application for a license to carry containing false information were served concurrently with the federal charges.
—Colleen Cronin, Boston Herald, 7 June 2026
Last month, Superior Court Judge Gassia Apkarian found that the ads violated California’s false advertising law by disseminating public statements about the disposal of property — specifically vehicle donations — that were misleading by omission.
—Francie Ebert, NBC news, 6 June 2026
Republicans raise ballot fairness concerns The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) has also raised concerns, sending a letter to Alaska election officials arguing that similar names could violate state rules against confusing or misleading ballot designations.
—Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 4 June 2026
The following month, Murrell quit his job after two decades as SNP chief executive and took responsibility for misleading the news media about the collapse in party membership.
—ABC News, 31 May 2026
Otherwise, journalism may be perceived as misleading the audience, prompting people to turn to other sources of information that may be tainted by self-interest rather than public interest.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 May 2026
But the problem isn’t just misleading math.
—Matt Peterson, CNBC, 27 May 2026
Presto Automation received an SEC fraud charge for misleading investors about its AI autonomy claims.
—Lily Mae Lazarus, Fortune, 26 May 2026
It is being updated continuously as new information comes in and has built-in quality-control features that make note of misleading data.
—Noah Lyons, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for misleading
Adjective
-
This isn’t an easy history to tell since obfuscation, confusion, and deceptive hype are its central themes.—
Jonathan Odden,
Artforum,
2 June 2026
-
Owens also challenged the ballot title and summary as deceptive.—
Jack Harvel
June 2,
Kansas City Star,
2 June 2026
Verb
-
He was also accused of deceiving escrow agents to secure the release of pre-construction condo deposits and then misappropriated those funds for personal expenses unrelated to the developments.—
Jay Weaver
June 6,
Miami Herald,
6 June 2026
-
While the prominence resembles a fiery eruption, Johnston notes that looks can be deceiving.—
Daisy Dobrijevic,
Space.com,
5 June 2026
Adjective
-
Today, rumors circulating on social media in the DRC include false claims that Ebola is not real, that humanitarian workers are descending on the area solely for their own profit and that aid groups are withholding the best care available.—
Gabrielle Emanuel,
NPR,
29 May 2026
-
In January, Roberts pleaded guilty to making a false statement for employment and one count of unlawfully possessing a firearm while being in the country illegally.—
Corky Siemaszko,
NBC news,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
Such techniques typically work by tricking the user into approving a request to approve a device owned by the attacker instead.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
3 June 2026
-
While Matthew and Mu-won started Gojeuneok Bio together, Chang-ho has launched a cosmetics company that makes its money by tricking smaller companies into giving away the secrets behind their products.—
Kayti Burt,
Time,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
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.—
Lane Brown,
Vulture,
15 May 2026
-
After killing Minnesota’s first power play, the Avalanche opened the scoring when defenseman Sam Malinski scored his first career playoff goal, fooling Wallstedt with a rising wrist shot.—
Jess Myers,
Twin Cities,
4 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Misleading.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/misleading. Accessed 10 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
