MISLEAD Synonyms: 73 Similar and Opposite Words

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

Some common synonyms of mislead are beguile , deceive , and delude . While all these words mean "to lead astray or frustrate usually by underhandedness," mislead implies a leading astray that may or may not be intentional. // I was misled by the confusing sign

Q: When might 'beguile' be a better fit than 'mislead'?

In some situations, the words beguile and mislead are roughly equivalent. However, beguile stresses the use of charm and persuasion in deceiving. // was beguiled by false promises

Q: When could 'deceive' be used to replace 'mislead'?

While in some cases nearly identical to mislead , 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 'delude' take the place of 'mislead'?

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

mislead

verb

ˌmis-ˈlēd

Definition of mislead

as in to deceive

to cause to believe what is untrue the coral snake's attractive colors can mislead you into thinking that it is harmless

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb mislead differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of mislead are beguile, deceive, and delude. While all these words mean "to lead astray or frustrate usually by underhandedness," mislead implies a leading astray that may or may not be intentional.

I was misled by the confusing sign

When might beguile be a better fit than mislead?

In some situations, the words beguile and mislead are roughly equivalent. However, beguile stresses the use of charm and persuasion in deceiving.

was beguiled by false promises

When could deceive be used to replace mislead?

While in some cases nearly identical to mislead, 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 delude take the place of mislead?

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

we were deluded into thinking we were safe

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 mislead The investigations hinge on whether the company provided incomplete or misleading information to shareholders. — Pamela N. Danziger, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026 Beyond balancing your hormones, these can be some of the most effective ways to manage endometriosis, but as the opportunity grows, so does the potential for misinformation and misleading claims. — Bella Webb, Vogue, 28 Aug. 2026 The Illinois settlement is part of the broader nationwide deal Meta reached to resolve claims that the company built Facebook and Instagram to be addictive to kids and misled the public about the risks. — Olivia Olander, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026 Kennedy has a history of casting doubts on vaccines and spreading misleading claims about their safety and efficacy. — Stephanie Stahl, CBS News, 27 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for mislead

Recent Examples of Synonyms for mislead

Verb

Your eyes aren't deceiving you — the little delivery robots rolling down Washington DC streets are becoming a more common sight.

— Mike Stunson, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026
Jury Duty has managed to deceive two unsuspecting do-gooders with civic duty and a company retreat.

— Peter White, Deadline, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of 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

Browse Nearby Words

mislays

mislead

misleader

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Mislead.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mislead. Accessed 3 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of mislead

verb

Synonym Chooser

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

recalcitrant

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Games & Quizzes