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
Battering ram with deceptive speed (4.51), but struggles catching the ball.
—
Rob Reischel, Forbes.com, 14 Apr. 2025
Key attributes: Explosive speed, deceptive footwork for separation.
—Joe Buscaglia, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2025
In addition to his first-term tariffs, Trump also filed a formal World Trade Organization case against China, alleging deceptive trade practices and intellectual property theft.
—David Faris, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Apr. 2025
Scammers and scalpers gravitate to these sites to make a quick buck off of people desperate for the new hotness, and will often elevate prices, post deceptive listings and more to separate you from your money.
—K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 3 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deceptive
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Rob Reischel, Forbes.com, 14 Apr. 2025
Key attributes: Explosive speed, deceptive footwork for separation.
—Joe Buscaglia, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2025
In addition to his first-term tariffs, Trump also filed a formal World Trade Organization case against China, alleging deceptive trade practices and intellectual property theft.
—David Faris, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Apr. 2025
Scammers and scalpers gravitate to these sites to make a quick buck off of people desperate for the new hotness, and will often elevate prices, post deceptive listings and more to separate you from your money.
—K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 3 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 22 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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