1
as in misleading
tending or having power to deceive
in his deceptive answer about the vehicle's history, the salesman said that the used car had never been hit by another car
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in fraudulent
given to or marked by cheating and deception
a mail-order firm indicted for deceptive business practices
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of deceptive
However, know that the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act prevents collectors from using abusive, deceptive or unfair methods.
—
Bianca Rodríguez Rojas, Sacramento Bee, 26 Feb. 2025
The consumer watchdog was created after the 2008 financial crisis and housing crash to protect American families from unfair and deceptive practices.
—Rachel Scott, ABC News, 24 Feb. 2025
Speculative sales can be deceptive and harmful to fans if not transparently disclosed or displayed differently.
—Brian Hess, Boston Herald, 24 Feb. 2025
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has taken some steps to regulate the collection of data in vehicles, focusing on consumer protection and preventing deceptive practices.
—Eric Reicin, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deceptive
Bianca Rodríguez Rojas, Sacramento Bee, 26 Feb. 2025
The consumer watchdog was created after the 2008 financial crisis and housing crash to protect American families from unfair and deceptive practices.
—Rachel Scott, ABC News, 24 Feb. 2025
Speculative sales can be deceptive and harmful to fans if not transparently disclosed or displayed differently.
—Brian Hess, Boston Herald, 24 Feb. 2025
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has taken some steps to regulate the collection of data in vehicles, focusing on consumer protection and preventing deceptive practices.
—Eric Reicin, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deceptive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deceptive
Adjective
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Multiple users commented on Joann's latest post about fraudulent websites to criticize the chain's decision about gift cards.—
Taylor Ardrey,
USA TODAY,
19 Mar. 2025
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March 6 Check fraud: The City of Saratoga reported that someone attempted to access government funds with fraudulent checks.—
Anne Gelhaus,
The Mercury News,
14 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Fowler played more of a false nine and dropped deeper to stitch the play together, combining well with Jill Roord.—
Charlotte Harpur,
The Athletic,
20 Mar. 2025
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As part of the scheme, prosecutors said Bock and Said submitted false documentation to the Minnesota Department of Education, including fraudulent meal counts and fake attendance rosters.—
Thao Nguyen,
USA TODAY,
20 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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To his supporters, Trump is taking justifiable action over past shady behavior.—
Niall Stanage,
The Hill,
14 Mar. 2025
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Desperate to make clear his intense dissatisfaction with how Beck’s operation is being run, McCabe — aka Xavier Quinn, a very big (and slightly amnesic) bad from Reacher’s past — had Paulie fetch Beck’s son Richard, who’d already lost an ear to his father’s shady alliances.—
Matt Webb Mitovich,
TVLine,
13 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Perhaps Simpson’s most dishonest claim was that Social Security’s drafters deliberately set the retirement age at 65 because life expectancy in 1935, at the time of enactment, was 63.—
Michael Hiltzik,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Mar. 2025
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Higher-ups and colleagues see through the charade as dishonest.—
Bryan Robinson,
Forbes,
2 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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The people here prefer to be crooked while pretending to be holy.—
Colm Tóibín,
The New Yorker,
2 Mar. 2025
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My tween self wrote a letter to myself stating that my ideal person would have a crooked smile, a sense of humor, honest eyes and a creative palate.—
Lisa Stardust,
People.com,
12 Feb. 2025
Articles Related to deceptive
Cite this Entry
“Deceptive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deceptive. Accessed 23 Mar. 2025.
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