Synonyms of misleading

misleading 1 of 2

adjective

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

• deceptive
• false
• incorrect
• deceiving
• deceitful
• specious
• fallacious
• ambiguous
• delusive
• inaccurate
• beguiling
• delusory
• deluding
• fraudulent
• subtle
• perplexing
• dishonest
• trick
• puzzling
• tricky
• wrong
• cunning
• confounding
• crooked
• untruthful
• sneaky
• mendacious
• distracting
• lying
• wily
• untrustworthy
• slick
• shifty
• underhanded
• duplicitous
• artful
• crafty
• sly
• treacherous
• shady
• foxy
• subtile
• devious
• bogus
• spurious
• insidious
• underhand
• evasive
• bewildering
• counterfeit
• faithless
• artificial
• trickish
• fake
• hypocritical
• perfidious
• forged
• guileful
• equivocal
• insincere
• phony
• sham
• feigned
• dissembling
• ambidextrous
• defrauding
• knavish
• jive
• circuitous
• sneaking
• backhanded
• fast
• double-dealing
• two-faced
• left-handed

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• straightforward
• forthright
• direct
• plain
• frank
• open
• candid
• straight
• outspoken
• nondeceptive
• illuminating
• explanatory
• aboveboard
• revealing
• clarifying
• truthful
• revelatory
• plainspoken
• honest
• openhearted
• trustworthy
• free-spoken
• elucidative
• foursquare

misleading

2 of 2

verb

present participle of mislead

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

• deceiving
• tricking
• fooling
• misguiding
• misinforming
• kidding
• teasing
• deluding
• duping
• bamboozling
• beguiling
• suckering
• gulling
• hoaxing
• hoodwinking
• cheating
• humbugging
• bluffing
• stinging
• sucking in
• conning
• juggling
• spoofing
• cozening
• stringing along
• snookering
• taking in
• gaffing
• snowing
• faking out
• catching
• gammoning
• burning
• having on
• having
• hornswoggling
• buffaloing
• doing a number on
• pulling one's leg
• leading one down the garden path
• pulling the wool over one's eyes
• defrauding
• shortchanging
• swindling
• flimflamming
• sticking
• putting on
• fleecing
• bleeding
• mulcting
• hustling
• rooking
• diddling
• chiseling
• squeezing
• euchring
• skinning

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• revealing
• exposing
• debunking
• uncovering
• disclosing
• telling
• unmasking
• showing up
• undeceiving
• divulging
• disillusioning
• unveiling
• disabusing
• uncloaking
• disenchanting

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of misleading

Adjective

Experts pointed to a number of possibilities for voters’ decisions, including what some characterized as successful but potentially misleading messaging by the opposition and confusion over the complex measure. — Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 11 Nov. 2026

Should companies face tougher penalties for advertising misleading health benefits, especially when someone's financial security could be at stake? — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 11 Nov. 2026

The complaint, filed by investor Mark Kistenmacher in California, alleges that the company failed to disclose the affair and made misleading statements about Nvidia’s relationship with Megaspeed. — Hollie Silverman, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Nov. 2026

The Rosen Law Firm's suit alleges the defendants made false or misleading statements about his affair with Huang and Nvidia's relationship with Megaspeed, thereby presenting a material risk to the company's reputation and business prospects. — April Roach, CNBC, 10 Nov. 2026

But to suggest that creativity is new to Brisbane would be misleading. — Erin Florio, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Nov. 2026

Some critics, though, have found its message misleading, since several splinter factions are still active and thousands of fighters rejected that 2016 agreement. — Emily Watlington, ARTnews.com, 7 Nov. 2026

The plaintiff contends those conditions made the company’s financial guidance unrealistic and its public statements materially misleading, according to the firm’s summary. — Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 6 Nov. 2026

The claim featured in the ad was rated misleading, as a series of court records undercut the claim that Hamilton attempted to protect the child abuser. — Kansas City Star, 3 Nov. 2026

Verb

The organization accused Ford’s campaign of misleading voters about its support, becoming part of a broader dispute between the candidates over law enforcement endorsements. — Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 4 Nov. 2026

Buelna and another candidate accused Winston of misleading the public by describing himself as an architect and an educator during the campaign when his full-time job is deputy mayor of infrastructure and climate resilience. — Andrew Khouri, Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2026

In August, a Leon County judge ruled the original title and summary were misleading and contained political rhetoric, ordering them rewritten. — Sergio Candido, CBS News, 4 Nov. 2026

However, the research team realized that the powerful electron beams inside the microscope can change the structure and chemistry of sensitive battery materials, and produce misleading results. — Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 3 Nov. 2026

The amendment also allows courts to revise ballot summaries that are deemed misleading and prohibits the General Assembly from tweaking the initiative petition process. — Jack Harvel, Kansas City Star, 3 Nov. 2026

My takeaway from a decade of litigation is that Facebook has been penalized for misleading users and regulators about its data practices and its response to the Cambridge Analytica scandal. — Emma L. Briant, The Conversation, 3 Nov. 2026

Voters are increasingly turning to AI chatbots for information ahead of the midterms, yet many of the most popular ones may give misleading information about candidates and polling site opening times, according to researchers. — Katie McQue, NPR, 2 Nov. 2026

His campaign said the text messages were misleading and meant to confuse voters. — Romy Ellenbogen Herald, Miami Herald, 28 Oct. 2026