Synonyms of mislead

mislead 1 of 3

verb (1)

ˌmis-ˈlēd 

as in to deceive

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

• deceive
• fool
• trick
• misinform
• delude
• misguide
• tease
• hoodwink
• dupe
• beguile
• bamboozle
• kid
• cheat
• hoax
• suck in
• sucker
• bluff
• humbug
• con
• sting
• cozen
• juggle
• spoof
• gull
• buffalo
• catch
• have on
• string along
• have
• gaff
• take in
• burn
• snow
• hornswoggle
• gammon
• fake out
• do a number on
• snooker
• lead one up the garden path
• lead one down the garden path
• defraud
• pull one's leg
• shortchange
• pull the wool over one's eyes
• swindle
• put on
• stick
• bleed
• mulct
• diddle
• hustle
• fleece
• flimflam
• skin
• squeeze
• euchre
• rook
• chisel

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• undeceive
• reveal
• expose
• tell
• uncover
• disclose
• unmask
• debunk
• show up
• divulge
• unveil
• disabuse
• disillusion
• uncloak
• disenchant

misleading

2 of 3

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

3 of 3

verb (2)

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
• catching
• faking out
• gammoning
• burning
• having on
• having
• hornswoggling
• buffaloing
• doing a number on
• leading one up the garden path
• pulling one's leg
• leading one down the garden path
• pulling the wool over one's eyes
• defrauding
• shortchanging
• swindling
• sticking
• putting on
• fleecing
• bleeding
• mulcting
• flimflamming
• hustling
• rooking
• chiselling
• 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 mislead

Verb

Parents and alumni who raised concerns with the scope of this enforcement action were misled regarding the investigation. —Wynn Smiley, Baltimore Sun, 24 Apr. 2025

Tesla is facing a new scandal that once again sees the electric automaker accused of misleading customers. —Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 17 Apr. 2025

Verb

Unfortunately, this kind of misleading content is likely to remain online indefinitely. —Hod Fleishman, Forbes.com, 27 Mar. 2025

They are fueled by partisan agendas, misleading narratives and a desire to undermine those who choose to lead with principle rather than play political games. —Naperville Sun, Chicago Tribune, 24 Mar. 2025