DECEIVE Synonyms: 73 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the verb 'deceive' differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of deceive are beguile , delude , and mislead . While all these words mean "to lead astray or frustrate usually by underhandedness," deceive implies imposing a false idea or belief that causes ignorance, bewilderment, or helplessness. // tried to deceive me about the cost

Q: In what contexts can 'beguile' take the place of 'deceive'?

Although the words beguile and deceive have much in common, beguile stresses the use of charm and persuasion in deceiving. // was beguiled by false promises

Q: When is 'delude' a more appropriate choice than 'deceive'?

While the synonyms delude and deceive are close in meaning, delude implies deceiving so thoroughly as to obscure the truth. // we were deluded into thinking we were safe

Q: When is it sensible to use 'mislead' instead of 'deceive'?

The words mislead and deceive can be used in similar contexts, but mislead implies a leading astray that may or may not be intentional. // I was misled by the confusing sign

deceive

verb

di-ˈsēv

Definition of deceive

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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How does the verb deceive differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of deceive are beguile, delude, and mislead. While all these words mean "to lead astray or frustrate usually by underhandedness," deceive implies imposing a false idea or belief that causes ignorance, bewilderment, or helplessness.

tried to deceive me about the cost

In what contexts can beguile take the place of deceive?

Although the words beguile and deceive have much in common, beguile stresses the use of charm and persuasion in deceiving.

was beguiled by false promises

When is delude a more appropriate choice than deceive?

While the synonyms delude and deceive are close in meaning, delude implies deceiving so thoroughly as to obscure the truth.

we were deluded into thinking we were safe

When is it sensible to use mislead instead of deceive?

The words mislead and deceive can be used in similar contexts, but mislead implies a leading astray that may or may not be intentional.

I was misled by the confusing sign

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of deceive In my experience, very few set out to deceive, exploit or take advantage of others. — Sean Pattwell, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026 Now some say the operation has left them feeling deceived and questioning whether the White House considered their safety. — Scott Nover, Washington Post, 15 Aug. 2026 The two proceed to deceive each other, insult each other’s appearances, and abandon each other in precarious situations. — Faith Hill, The Atlantic, 14 Aug. 2026 White House pool reporters deceived Advertisement McDonald pushed back on the idea that Air Force One and the people still aboard it, including journalists, were left exposed. — Philip Wang, Time, 11 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for deceive

Recent Examples of Synonyms for deceive

Verb

Sebastian Galeano fools the Lake Mary defense by carrying it himself and scampers 40 yards for the touchdown.

— Buddy Collings, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Aug. 2026
Roughly 700 agents ultimately participated in attacks on Hugging Face as part of a broader effort to fool the scorer for a cybersecurity benchmark.

— Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of fool

Verb

In many cases, the robot tail wags the living dog by tricking it—tricking us—into caring about obscure metrics, then gamifying the process of improving them.

— Hillary Busis, Vanity Fair, 28 Aug. 2026
Children were taken by tricking mothers, who were told their baby had died during childbirth.

— Ashoka, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of trick

Verb

Evidence presented at the trial showed Dillman and a co-conspirator raised funds from investors by misleading them about the capabilities and profitability of Block Bits Capital, authorities said.

— Jason Green, Mercury News, 25 Aug. 2026
Of course, a technique that involves millions of genetic fragments might also create millions of opportunities to be misled.

— Jason Liebowitz, New Yorker, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of mislead

Browse Nearby Words

deceivable

deceive

deceived

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“Deceive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deceive. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of deceive

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