DECEIVING Synonyms: 169 Similar and Opposite Words

deceiving 1 of 2

adjective

as in misleading

tending or having power to deceive the deceiving nature of most flat maps of the globe causes some people to believe erroneously that Greenland is actually bigger than South America

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

deceiving

2 of 2

verb

present participle of deceive

as in tricking

to cause to believe what is untrue he went to great lengths to deceive his family about the nature of his new job at the mall

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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 deceiving

Adjective

In our experience, these mid-sized sets can be very deceiving. — Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 19 Dec. 2025 Few things in life are more deceiving than a Week 1 game, especially those played in a rainstorm on the other side of an ocean. — Stewart Mandel, New York Times, 27 Aug. 2025

Verb

Looking at wins and losses is useful and necessary, but often deceiving as to which team is better. — Ian Miller Outkick, FOXNews.com, 7 Oct. 2026 But 3-0 marks can be deceiving heading into a battle of unbeatens at home against Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs. — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 4 Oct. 2026 Boulder County accused the fossil fuel companies of deceiving the general public about the dangers of their oil and gas operations and the associated greenhouse gas emissions through their advertising and marketing. — Callie Patteson, The Washington Examiner, 1 Oct. 2026 In ’61, the Senators showed a little promise at the beginning of the season, posting a 17-12 record in May, much like this year’s Rockies, who were a deceiving 13-14 in June. — Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 25 Sep. 2026 Pitinan Packable Rain Jacket With Hood, $27 Packing for a short weekend getaway is deceiving. — Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 24 Sep. 2026 Six years later, over 2,000 colleges and universities are still test-optional – although the categorization may be deceiving, as some scholarships may depend on SAT scores. — Beth Kania-Gosche, The Conversation, 22 Sep. 2026 The company was also accused of deceiving customers into buying add-on products to get financing for their purchase. — Dan Raby, CBS News, 22 Sep. 2026 The Bucs couldn’t ask for a better bounce-back opponent after dropping their opener in Cincy, a somewhat deceiving result because of all the Baker Mayfield turnovers. — Hank Gola, New York Daily News, 18 Sep. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for deceiving

Adjective

As a result, choosing a plan based solely on monthly premiums can be misleading.

— Cindy Krischer Goodman, Sun Sentinel, 14 Oct. 2026
The Idaho Consumer Protection Act, enacted in 1971, protects consumers from false, deceptive or misleading representations, advertising, pricing and contracts.

— Harllie Stevenson, Idaho Statesman, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of misleading

Verb

RatHat relies heavily on tricking someone into installing a malicious Android app and approving powerful permissions.

— Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 2 Oct. 2026
Wardle found that a simple variation of ClickFix attack—a technique that has become remarkably effective in tricking people into infecting their devices—is all that’s required for an attacker to take control of a Muse account.

— Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 21 Sep. 2026

Definition of tricking

Adjective

The Idaho Consumer Protection Act, enacted in 1971, protects consumers from false, deceptive or misleading representations, advertising, pricing and contracts.

— Harllie Stevenson, Idaho Statesman, 14 Oct. 2026
What Apple says about suspicious iMessages Apple says this type of deceptive messaging uses social engineering, a tactic in which scammers rely on impersonation and manipulation to persuade people to share personal information.

— Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of deceptive

Verb

In the highlight, Marshall retrieves the ball and oddly fires it back to the infield, fooling no one.

— Tyler Kepner, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026
Anybody hoping that a Netanyahu defeat in October and the emergence of a less controversial successor will reset the table is likely fooling themselves.

— Daniel DePetris, Chicago Tribune, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of fooling

Adjective

Screening mammograms miss about one in eight breast cancers overall, and people with dense breasts are more likely to get false-negative results, the American Cancer Society reports.

— Samantha Agate, Kansas City Star, 14 Oct. 2026
Overall, screening mammograms miss about one in eight breast cancers, and people with dense breasts are more likely to get false-negative results.

— Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of false

Browse Nearby Words

deceives

deceiving

decelerate

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“Deceiving.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deceiving. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of deceiving

adjective

verb

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