misled 1 of 2

adjective

as in confused

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misled

2 of 2

verb

past tense of mislead
as in deceived
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 misled
Verb
Foster parents left to cover costs for childcare Maloney and other Indiana foster families feel like they were misled by the state, which had for many years paid for childcare for foster children. — Moriah Balingit, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026 The Illinois settlement is part of the broader nationwide deal Meta reached to resolve claims that the company built Facebook and Instagram to be addictive to kids and misled the public about the risks. — Olivia Olander, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026 The states argued that the company deliberately designed Facebook and Instagram to hook children into using its apps, misled the public about the harm and improperly collected data from children under 13. — Carolina Rossini, The Conversation, 27 Aug. 2026 In response, some Democratic politicians, including Wyden and Markey, have said Kennedy lied or misled the Senate. — Ali Swenson, Fortune, 27 Aug. 2026 In March, a jury found that the platform had misled consumers about safety and ordered it to pay $375 million. — Tilly Robinson, IndyStar, 26 Aug. 2026 Of course, a technique that involves millions of genetic fragments might also create millions of opportunities to be misled. — Jason Liebowitz, New Yorker, 25 Aug. 2026 Paul Schmidt, a Covington & Burling trial attorney representing Meta, contested O'Neill's arguments, and disputed the notion that Meta executives misled the public with their statements about child safety. — Jonathan Vanian, CNBC, 19 Aug. 2026 The states say the company knew the platforms were dangerous to kids, but misled the public about the risks. — John Ruwitch, NPR, 18 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for misled
  1. confused
  2. deceived
  3. misguided
  4. tricked
  5. misinformed
  6. fooled
  7. mistaken
  8. incorrect
Adjective
  • The event was somewhat shambolic, with confused chefs stopping for selfies with Bibendum as the host tried to move things along.
    — Ruby Tandoh, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2026
  • The adoption of this policy came very late in the summer and after a more tentative earlier policy that mainly confused educators and parents.
    — New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of confused
Verb
  • Furious at having been deceived her whole life, Kylie hops on the next plane to the Owens’ ancestral home in England with the intent of breaking the curse once and for all.
    — Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Now some say the operation has left them feeling deceived and questioning whether the White House considered their safety.
    — Scott Nover, Washington Post, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of deceived
Adjective
  • But government alone cannot fix this, even though politicians’ short-sighted and misguided policies have contributed to this problem.
    — Eric Khant, Sun Sentinel, 8 Sep. 2026
  • In the weeks leading up to the first Super Bowl at SoFi, there were misguided rumblings that the game might be moved to Dallas, because the NFL had secured that city as a backup.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of misguided
Verb
  • Because you can get tricked very quickly into thinking that acting is all about me.
    — David Katz, HollywoodReporter, 9 Sep. 2026
  • In the past couple of years, deepfakes have already tricked large firms like Arup into wiring $25 million to scammers.
    — Allyson Kapin, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of tricked
Adjective
  • There are still those who claim that news about the global whiskey market slump is misinformed or not truly representative of the bigger picture.
    — Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Ohtani's specific case, which started the misinformed outrage over deferrals, is even less controversial.
    — Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of misinformed
Verb
  • Earlier in the game, he was fooled on a flea-flicker, and his pass-interference penalty set up the Patriots’ lone touchdown.
    — Jerry Brewer, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Don’t be fooled by the film’s advertising, which features an image of Neeson’s scowling visage dwarfing Levi aiming an automatic weapon.
    — Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of fooled
Adjective
  • Nothing was mistaken at the inaugural Cartier Cinema Club dinner held at Venice’s Gritti Palace, where Chazelle’s La La Land was honored with dinner on the canal overlooking the Basilica della Salute.
    — Chris Murphy, Vanity Fair, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Features that hold a child's attention and increase engagement are frequently mistaken for fostering genuine learning, the report found.
    — Tom Huddleston Jr., CNBC, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of mistaken
Adjective
  • State officials stress that the incorrect information does not belong to another Michigan resident.
    — Terrance Friday, CBS News, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Manufacturers there can have the products reanalyzed, but dispensaries can’t sell those products until retesting shows the original analysis was incorrect.
    — Christopher Osher, ProPublica, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of incorrect

Browse Nearby Words

misleared
misled
mislike
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Cite this Entry

“Misled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/misled. Accessed 13 Sep. 2026.

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