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
It’s got a slim, high-rise fit with a deceptive amount of cargo space that includes tennis ball pockets and side pockets.
—
Clint Davis, People.com, 10 Feb. 2025
Phishing campaigns leverage compromised accounts or domains to send deceptive invitations, luring victims into downloading harmful files.
—Kurt Knutsson, Cyberguy Report, Fox News, 10 Feb. 2025
In response, Ken Paxton, the Republican attorney general of Texas, opened an investigation into whether the article by Media Matters violated the state’s deceptive trade practices law.
—New York Times, The Mercury News, 9 Feb. 2025
The agency was instrumental in the Biden administration's work to address deceptive or predatory business practices.
—Laurel Wamsley, NPR, 8 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for deceptive 
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Clint Davis, People.com, 10 Feb. 2025
Phishing campaigns leverage compromised accounts or domains to send deceptive invitations, luring victims into downloading harmful files.
—Kurt Knutsson, Cyberguy Report, Fox News, 10 Feb. 2025
In response, Ken Paxton, the Republican attorney general of Texas, opened an investigation into whether the article by Media Matters violated the state’s deceptive trade practices law.
—New York Times, The Mercury News, 9 Feb. 2025
The agency was instrumental in the Biden administration's work to address deceptive or predatory business practices.
—Laurel Wamsley, NPR, 8 Feb. 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 19 Feb. 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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