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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of deceiving
Stewart Mandel, New York Times, 27 Aug. 2025
Quincy Bulin, Southern Living, 3 Jan. 2026
That level of eye-deceiving detail falters in wide shots, however, some of which suffer from unflattering flat lighting that in certain instances recall computer screensavers of yore, given their colorful artificiality.
—Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 30 Dec. 2025
Your eyes aren’t deceiving you, Boise.
—Alex Brizee, Idaho Statesman, 27 Dec. 2025
The Cartier Indian Tiara is deceiving!
—Janine Henni, PEOPLE, 7 Dec. 2025
Family ties may become strained for former South African President Jacob Zuma after his eldest daughter accused her half-sister of deceiving 17 men – half of whom are reportedly relatives – into fighting for Russia in Ukraine.
—Nimi Princewill, CNN Money, 5 Dec. 2025
However, appearances can be deceiving, as there's a lot to be optimistic about here.
—PC Magazine, 3 Dec. 2025
As Venus enters Scorpio, your love life appears quiet, but appearances can be deceiving!
—Usa Today, USA Today, 6 Nov. 2025
Gordon warned me that this was deceiving.
—Ava Kofman, New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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.
—Verb
Relying Too Much On Garbage Disposals Though the name may be deceiving, garbage disposals aren’t actually designed to dispose of all garbage.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for deceiving
Adjective
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Experts immediately pointed out that Hassett had used a misleading method known as a cubic fit to make the mortality data appear less frightening.—
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For its misleading omissions, the Times story deserves a flunking grade.—
Verb
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Ukraine orchestrated a fake hit on one of Russia's enemies who has fought alongside Ukrainian forces, tricking the Kremlin into paying out a $500,000 bounty Kyiv used to fund its war effort.—
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To pull off his human heist, Mendez must develop and try to sell a Star Wars-esque sci-fi film, in the hopes of tricking the Iranians into believing the American hostages are part of a Canadian film crew.—
Adjective
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While not everyone gets their wishes, those with no interest in taking on the deceptive — and challenging — role of a Traitor likely won't be chosen.—
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The legal claims included negligence, wrongful death, deceptive trade practices, and product liability.—
Verb
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Early reports indicate that kids are fooling the age-recognition software with sophisticated techniques such as drawing on facial hair and substituting celebrity photos for their own.—
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Anyone who thinks that this is an issue that could have been solved by nominating a couple more Spider-Man movies is fooling themselves.—
Adjective
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Plants that provide winter interest, including sedums, goldenrod, blue false indigo, and ornamental grasses.—
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Today’s teenagers can produce a TikTok video in minutes, but how many of them will learn to analyze the president’s false claim that Tylenol causes autism?—
Cite this Entry
“Deceiving.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deceiving. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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