as in to fool
to cause to believe what is untrue
he went to great lengths to deceive his family about the nature of his new job at the mall
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of deceive
However, news reports can be deceiving as less than 5% of organizations completely prohibit remote work.
—
John M. Bremen, Forbes, 18 Feb. 2025
Holmes was convicted on four of 11 charges — three counts of wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud — for deceiving investors while running Theranos, a once high-flying healthcare startup that collapsed in 2022 amid a massive fraud scandal.
—Danielle Bacher, People.com, 14 Feb. 2025
Minor leaguers and players trying to make the club out of spring can put up gaudy (deceiving) numbers against dubious competition.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Feb. 2025
The viewer may feel deceived for a moment, but most people know that trash talk is par for the course among sports fandoms.
—Emily Forlini, PCMAG, 10 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deceive
John M. Bremen, Forbes, 18 Feb. 2025
Holmes was convicted on four of 11 charges — three counts of wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud — for deceiving investors while running Theranos, a once high-flying healthcare startup that collapsed in 2022 amid a massive fraud scandal.
—Danielle Bacher, People.com, 14 Feb. 2025
Minor leaguers and players trying to make the club out of spring can put up gaudy (deceiving) numbers against dubious competition.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Feb. 2025
The viewer may feel deceived for a moment, but most people know that trash talk is par for the course among sports fandoms.
—Emily Forlini, PCMAG, 10 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deceive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deceive
Verb
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Look for the producer, grape variety, region, and vintage, and don’t be fooled by flashy words.—
Emily Price,
Forbes,
5 Mar. 2025
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Also, unlike its many imposters (and there are many similar looking wireless lamps out there, so don’t be fooled), the Poldina comes with a 1-year warranty on the battery and a 2-year warranty for any defects.—
Wilder Davies,
Bon Appétit,
27 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Phishing works by tricking the user, with no reliance on any particular operating system or browser.—
PCMAG,
PCMAG,
7 Mar. 2025
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Here are some alternative snacking options that can help trick your brain into feeling full.—
Alexandra Banner,
CNN,
5 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The passports were revoked on the basis that applications had contained false statements and misleading information and that the investors had criminal records.—
Ross Rosenfeld,
Newsweek,
26 Feb. 2025
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After Kyle Becker, who is a conservative influencer and former Fox News producer, echoed misleading claims about government agencies supporting media companies through subscriptions this month, Mr. Musk picked up on his post, calling for action.—
Zach Montague,
New York Times,
26 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Deceive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deceive. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
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