deceptive
adjective
de·cep·tive
di-ˈsep-tiv 
: tending or having power to cause someone to accept as true or valid what is false or invalid : tending or having power to deceive
a deceptive appearance
a pitcher with a deceptive windup
deceptively
adverb
deceptiveness
noun
Examples of deceptive in a Sentence
in his deceptive answer about the vehicle's history, the salesman said that the used car had never been hit by another car
a mail-order firm indicted for deceptive business practices
Recent Examples on the Web
However, when adjusted for inflation, real prices in Turkey have dropped by 10.4 percent, illustrating how price growth can be deceptive without factoring in inflation.
—
Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 4 Apr. 2025
Had these assessments been conducted, issues like algorithmic bias, content manipulation and deceptive AI practices would have been flagged before litigators intervened.
—Patrick Sullivan, Forbes.com, 3 Apr. 2025
These schemes involve the deceptive outsourcing of the job of interacting with Fans, as well as other functions, to third-party 'management' agencies.
—Jason D. Greenblatt, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Apr. 2025
Failing to display the sticker would constitute a deceptive trade practice, which could prompt an investigation by the Colorado Attorney General’s Office.
—Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 2 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deceptive
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Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 4 Apr. 2025
Had these assessments been conducted, issues like algorithmic bias, content manipulation and deceptive AI practices would have been flagged before litigators intervened.
—Patrick Sullivan, Forbes.com, 3 Apr. 2025
These schemes involve the deceptive outsourcing of the job of interacting with Fans, as well as other functions, to third-party 'management' agencies.
—Jason D. Greenblatt, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Apr. 2025
Failing to display the sticker would constitute a deceptive trade practice, which could prompt an investigation by the Colorado Attorney General’s Office.
—Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 2 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deceptive
Cite this Entry
“Deceptive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deceptive. Accessed 9 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
deceptive
adjective
de·cep·tive
di-ˈsep-tiv
: tending or having power to deceive : misleading
a deceptive appearance
deceptively
adverb
deceptiveness
noun
Legal Definition
deceptive
adjective
de·cep·tive
di-ˈsep-tiv
: tending or having capacity to deceive
deceptive trade practices
compare fraudulent, misleading
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