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 brief contends the FTC correctly applied both basic consumer protection law principles and that online transactions are part of a rule banning businesses from using deceptive claims.
—
Jose R. Gonzalez, The Arizona Republic, 26 June 2024
Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin made sweeping claims against e-commerce app Temu in a lawsuit on Tuesday, accusing the company of violating state law against deceptive trade practices.
—Lauren Feiner, The Verge, 26 June 2024
Plus, deceptive advertising practices have legal repercussions, Winans warns.
—Alena Botros, Fortune, 26 June 2024
By the looks of the trailer, the real villain of the movie is a deceptive blueberry pie candle that lulls the two women into a false sense of security.
—Lester Fabian Brathwaite, EW.com, 25 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for deceptive 
Jose R. Gonzalez, The Arizona Republic, 26 June 2024
Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin made sweeping claims against e-commerce app Temu in a lawsuit on Tuesday, accusing the company of violating state law against deceptive trade practices.
—Lauren Feiner, The Verge, 26 June 2024
Plus, deceptive advertising practices have legal repercussions, Winans warns.
—Alena Botros, Fortune, 26 June 2024
By the looks of the trailer, the real villain of the movie is a deceptive blueberry pie candle that lulls the two women into a false sense of security.
—Lester Fabian Brathwaite, EW.com, 25 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for deceptive
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'deceptive.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Deceptive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deceptive. Accessed 7 Jul. 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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