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
Synonyms
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
The Franklin County and River Valley Coalition recently accused officials of the Arkansas Development Finance Authority and a division of the building authority of being deceptive and called for an investigation.
—
Alex Golden, Axios, 6 Jan. 2025
Penelope in the Odyssey says that dreams that pass through the gate of ivory are deceptive, while those that pass through the gate of horn are real.
—Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 4 Jan. 2025
Free is overused in some ads and promotions — and sometimes consumer watchdogs warn some ads can be deceptive.
—Susan Tompor, Detroit Free Press, 3 Jan. 2025
The law bans deceptive advertising and speculative pricing.
—Acacia Squires, NPR, 31 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for deceptive 
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Alex Golden, Axios, 6 Jan. 2025
Penelope in the Odyssey says that dreams that pass through the gate of ivory are deceptive, while those that pass through the gate of horn are real.
—Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 4 Jan. 2025
Free is overused in some ads and promotions — and sometimes consumer watchdogs warn some ads can be deceptive.
—Susan Tompor, Detroit Free Press, 3 Jan. 2025
The law bans deceptive advertising and speculative pricing.
—Acacia Squires, NPR, 31 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for deceptive
Articles Related to deceptive
Dictionary Entries Near deceptive
Cite this Entry
“Deceptive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deceptive. Accessed 14 Jan. 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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