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
U T Readers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 June 2026
Pretending that’s not going to happen is misleading and wrong.
—Gene Marks, Forbes.com, 21 June 2026
Amendment 3 is loaded with misleading and deceptive language, like a scam artist’s promise to triple your money overnight.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 20 June 2026
Kiernan said people are naturally inclined to look for patterns in such events, but that tendency can be misleading without evidence.
—Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 18 June 2026
But, Feldman said after examining Hilcorp’s most recent data, that decline is artificially inflated by recent changes to the reporting rules, which make comparisons to previous years misleading.
—Alex Cuadros, ProPublica, 16 June 2026
Page filed his lawsuit in November 2020, alleging that his surveillance was unlawful because the warrant applications were false and misleading.
—Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 15 June 2026
But breast cancer specialists say that interpretation can be misleading.
—Lauryn Higgins, Flow Space, 15 June 2026
The company has denied the allegations, calling them misleading and culturally biased, and later settled with authorities in a deal that included payments and commitments to improve conditions, without admitting wrongdoing.
—Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 15 June 2026
Joe Árvai, The Conversation, 22 June 2026
The unsealing of the disciplinary findings came one day after the Pennsylvania Supreme Court sharply rebuked Krasner’s office for misleading courts, withholding evidence, and violating its duty of candor in multiple efforts to overturn murder convictions.
—Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 19 June 2026
The New Mexico Department of Justice is seeking nearly $1 billion from Facebook parent Meta after a New Mexico jury last month found the tech giant liable for endangering children and misleading the public about the safety of its platforms.
—Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 17 June 2026
The deaths of innocent Americans, and misleading the public on the rationale for their deaths, played a role in her departure.
—Gary Franks, Hartford Courant, 17 June 2026
Florida’s attorney general on Monday said the state is suing TikTok, accusing the social media company of violating state law, misleading parents and exposing children to harmful and addictive content.
—Skyler Shepard, Sun Sentinel, 15 June 2026
Two months after the festival collapsed, McFarland was charged with federal wire fraud for misleading investors about Fyre Festival’s finances.
—Serena Turner, Vanity Fair, 15 June 2026
So British officials spread the story that their pilots were eating large amounts of carrots to explain their sharp night vision, misleading the enemy into thinking diet, not technology, was behind the success.
—Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 15 June 2026
Chinese regulators accused leading e-commerce platforms of misleading marketing tactics ahead of 618, the country’s second-largest annual shopping bonanza.
—J.d. Capelouto, semafor.com, 11 June 2026
Adjective
This headline is so misleading.
—U T Readers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 June 2026
Pretending that’s not going to happen is misleading and wrong.
—Gene Marks, Forbes.com, 21 June 2026
Amendment 3 is loaded with misleading and deceptive language, like a scam artist’s promise to triple your money overnight.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 20 June 2026
Kiernan said people are naturally inclined to look for patterns in such events, but that tendency can be misleading without evidence.
—Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 18 June 2026
But, Feldman said after examining Hilcorp’s most recent data, that decline is artificially inflated by recent changes to the reporting rules, which make comparisons to previous years misleading.
—Alex Cuadros, ProPublica, 16 June 2026
Page filed his lawsuit in November 2020, alleging that his surveillance was unlawful because the warrant applications were false and misleading.
—Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 15 June 2026
But breast cancer specialists say that interpretation can be misleading.
—Lauryn Higgins, Flow Space, 15 June 2026
The company has denied the allegations, calling them misleading and culturally biased, and later settled with authorities in a deal that included payments and commitments to improve conditions, without admitting wrongdoing.
—Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 15 June 2026
Verb
Why misinformation works and how to disable it Climate misinformation ranges from misleading to absurd.
—Joe Árvai, The Conversation, 22 June 2026
The unsealing of the disciplinary findings came one day after the Pennsylvania Supreme Court sharply rebuked Krasner’s office for misleading courts, withholding evidence, and violating its duty of candor in multiple efforts to overturn murder convictions.
—Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 19 June 2026
The New Mexico Department of Justice is seeking nearly $1 billion from Facebook parent Meta after a New Mexico jury last month found the tech giant liable for endangering children and misleading the public about the safety of its platforms.
—Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 17 June 2026
The deaths of innocent Americans, and misleading the public on the rationale for their deaths, played a role in her departure.
—Gary Franks, Hartford Courant, 17 June 2026
Florida’s attorney general on Monday said the state is suing TikTok, accusing the social media company of violating state law, misleading parents and exposing children to harmful and addictive content.
—Skyler Shepard, Sun Sentinel, 15 June 2026
Two months after the festival collapsed, McFarland was charged with federal wire fraud for misleading investors about Fyre Festival’s finances.
—Serena Turner, Vanity Fair, 15 June 2026
So British officials spread the story that their pilots were eating large amounts of carrots to explain their sharp night vision, misleading the enemy into thinking diet, not technology, was behind the success.
—Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 15 June 2026
Chinese regulators accused leading e-commerce platforms of misleading marketing tactics ahead of 618, the country’s second-largest annual shopping bonanza.
—J.d. Capelouto, semafor.com, 11 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for misleading
Adjective
-
The suit alleges the group, known widely as WPATH, made deceptive claims about gender-affirming care for minors and that its members profited off the claims.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
17 June 2026
-
Grand Canyon’s rim-to-river routes can be deceptive because the steepest physical test comes on the way out, after hikers have descended into hotter terrain, experts say.—
Jessica Mekles,
FOXNews.com,
15 June 2026
Verb
-
The thing is, a lot of people have a talent for deceiving the public.—
Juan J. Arroyo,
Rolling Stone,
21 June 2026
-
Park and weather officials alike emphasize to Grand Canyon visitors that hiking conditions can be deceiving.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
20 June 2026
Adjective
-
According to the department, at the time of the chase, Buban had multiple outstanding arrest warrants against him, including for being a felon in possession of a firearm, taking a vehicle without consent, false impersonation and petty theft.—
Kassia Bonesteel,
CBS News,
19 June 2026
-
According to Peña, a producer relayed the false information to her through an earpiece during a live broadcast.—
Nicole Acevedo,
NBC news,
19 June 2026
Verb
-
The schemes involve a predator pretending to be a teenager online and tricking victims into sending illicit photos of themselves.—
Sarah N. Lynch,
CBS News,
17 June 2026
-
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
Verb
-
Speaking on Harvard Business School’s The Founder Mindset podcast, hosted by senior lecturer and serial entrepreneur Reza Satchu, the Shark Tank investor argued that anyone trying to balance a young company against the rest of their life is fooling themselves.—
Sydney Lake,
Fortune,
17 June 2026
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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
Cite this Entry
“Misleading.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/misleading. Accessed 25 Jun. 2026.
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