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
Lilly has sent cease-and-desist letters to numerous compounding sellers, and both companies have filed lawsuits against numerous compounding pharmacies, alleging trademark infringement and deceptive marketing.
—
Bob Woods, CNBC, 8 Dec. 2024
Yes, but: Brandi Tuck, executive director of the nonprofit Path Home, has been working with homeless families for nearly two decades and says those numbers are likely deceptive undercounts.
—Kale Williams, Axios, 6 Dec. 2024
By its very design, laundering is vastly complex and deceptive—and that can be exaggerated when crypto is used.
—Matt Burgess, WIRED, 4 Dec. 2024
While deceptive campaign ads and influencer endorsements were big topics in the past election cycle, political figures possibly engaging in undisclosed influencer marketing is a newer issue.
—Kat Tenbarge, NBC News, 4 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for deceptive 
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Bob Woods, CNBC, 8 Dec. 2024
Yes, but: Brandi Tuck, executive director of the nonprofit Path Home, has been working with homeless families for nearly two decades and says those numbers are likely deceptive undercounts.
—Kale Williams, Axios, 6 Dec. 2024
By its very design, laundering is vastly complex and deceptive—and that can be exaggerated when crypto is used.
—Matt Burgess, WIRED, 4 Dec. 2024
While deceptive campaign ads and influencer endorsements were big topics in the past election cycle, political figures possibly engaging in undisclosed influencer marketing is a newer issue.
—Kat Tenbarge, NBC News, 4 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 22 Dec. 2024.
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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