deceived; deceiving
1
: to cause to accept as true or valid what is false or invalid
deceiving customers about the condition of the cars
bluffing at poker in order to deceive the other players
2
archaic
: ensnare
… he it was whose guile … deceived the mother of mankind …—
John Milton
John Milton3
a
obsolete
: to be false to
You have deceived our trust …—Shakespeare
Shakespeare
b
archaic
: to fail to fulfill
… nor are my hopes deceived.—John Dryden
John Dryden4
archaic
: to while away
These occupations oftentimes deceived the listless hour …—William Wordsworth
William Wordsworth5
obsolete
: cheat
… deceived me of a good sum of money …—William Oldys
William Oldys
: to make someone believe something that is not true : to practice deceit
also
: to give a false impression
appearances can deceive
deceiver
noun
Synonyms
Examples of deceive in a Sentence
Her parents punished her for trying to deceive them.
He was accused of deceiving the customer about the condition of the car.
People who think they can eat whatever they want without harming their health are deceiving themselves.
Remember that appearances can deceive—just because something looks good doesn't mean it is good.
Recent Examples on the Web
Some even provide fake documents to help scammers deceive others.
—Ryan Nawrocki, Baltimore Sun, 19 Jan. 2025
On the other hand, disinformation is misleading or false information shared with the intent to deceive.
—Jill Hopke, The Conversation, 17 Jan. 2025
At the same time, the appearances could be deceiving.
—Peter Suciu, Forbes, 15 Jan. 2025
Green Mirage scammers have impersonated more than 400 mortgage institutions and caused hundreds of thousands of dollars of losses to deceived homeowners, many of whom only learn of the fraud when their actual lender starts foreclosure proceedings, the FCC said.
—Kate Gibson, CBS News, 14 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for deceive 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Ryan Nawrocki, Baltimore Sun, 19 Jan. 2025
On the other hand, disinformation is misleading or false information shared with the intent to deceive.
—Jill Hopke, The Conversation, 17 Jan. 2025
At the same time, the appearances could be deceiving.
—Peter Suciu, Forbes, 15 Jan. 2025
Green Mirage scammers have impersonated more than 400 mortgage institutions and caused hundreds of thousands of dollars of losses to deceived homeowners, many of whom only learn of the fraud when their actual lender starts foreclosure proceedings, the FCC said.
—Kate Gibson, CBS News, 14 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for deceive
Dictionary Entries Near deceive
Cite this Entry
“Deceive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deceive. Accessed 27 Jan. 2025.
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