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
Doing so could constitute a deceptive trade practice, and the Colorado Attorney General’s Office or local district attorneys could then investigate to determine the cause of the price hike.
—
Seth Klamann, The Denver Post, 20 Jan. 2025
The 81-page federal complaint charging Universal Music Group with defamation, harassment and payola (deceptive business practices) is a page-turner that seems penned more for press and public consumption (and perhaps label renegotiation) than judicial inspection.
—Bill Hochberg, Forbes, 17 Jan. 2025
Silas Stein | Picture Alliance | Getty Images American Express will pay approximately $230 million to resolve a federal criminal wire fraud investigation and settle allegations of deceptive marketing, the company said Thursday.
—Kevin Breuninger, CNBC, 16 Jan. 2025
Amex simultaneously reached an agreement with the Department of Justice to pay a civil penalty of $108.7 million to settle related allegations of deceptive marketing.
—Rocio Fabbro, Quartz, 16 Jan. 2025
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Seth Klamann, The Denver Post, 20 Jan. 2025
The 81-page federal complaint charging Universal Music Group with defamation, harassment and payola (deceptive business practices) is a page-turner that seems penned more for press and public consumption (and perhaps label renegotiation) than judicial inspection.
—Bill Hochberg, Forbes, 17 Jan. 2025
Silas Stein | Picture Alliance | Getty Images American Express will pay approximately $230 million to resolve a federal criminal wire fraud investigation and settle allegations of deceptive marketing, the company said Thursday.
—Kevin Breuninger, CNBC, 16 Jan. 2025
Amex simultaneously reached an agreement with the Department of Justice to pay a civil penalty of $108.7 million to settle related allegations of deceptive marketing.
—Rocio Fabbro, Quartz, 16 Jan. 2025
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 30 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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