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
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
Amazon has prevailed in a class-action lawsuit that accused it of engaging in deceptive trade practices.
—
Will McCurdy, PC Magazine, 19 July 2025
Attorney General Phil Weiser’s office sent CBZ and its constituent companies several subpoenas in September as investigators probed the chronically unsafe conditions of the companies’ properties, as well as allegations from tenants that CBZ had engaged in insurance fraud and deceptive practices.
—Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 16 July 2025
And on Wednesday, the Federal Trade Commission hosted a daylong event devoted to the question of whether providers of transgender medical treatments were engaging in unfair or deceptive trade practices.
—Azeen Ghorayshi, Chicago Tribune, 11 July 2025
In his opening remarks, FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson suggested that such care is deceptive and requires greater scrutiny by the commission.
—Jo Yurcaba, NBC news, 10 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for deceptive
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Will McCurdy, PC Magazine, 19 July 2025
Attorney General Phil Weiser’s office sent CBZ and its constituent companies several subpoenas in September as investigators probed the chronically unsafe conditions of the companies’ properties, as well as allegations from tenants that CBZ had engaged in insurance fraud and deceptive practices.
—Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 16 July 2025
And on Wednesday, the Federal Trade Commission hosted a daylong event devoted to the question of whether providers of transgender medical treatments were engaging in unfair or deceptive trade practices.
—Azeen Ghorayshi, Chicago Tribune, 11 July 2025
In his opening remarks, FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson suggested that such care is deceptive and requires greater scrutiny by the commission.
—Jo Yurcaba, NBC news, 10 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for deceptive
Cite this Entry
“Deceptive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deceptive. Accessed 26 Jul. 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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