How to Use deceive in a Sentence

deceive

verb
Definition of deceivenext
Synonyms for deceivenext
  • He was accused of deceiving the customer about the condition of the car.
  • Her parents punished her for trying to deceive them.
  • Remember that appearances can deceive—just because something looks good doesn't mean it is good.
  • People who think they can eat whatever they want without harming their health are deceiving themselves.
  • In its verb form, to be humbugged is to be deceived or be the victim of a hoax.
    — Elizabeth Wolfe and Douglas S. Wood, CNN, 21 Dec. 2019
  • In the song, Eilish croons about the pain of being deceived.
    — Charles Trepany, USA TODAY, 15 Feb. 2020
  • There are games when the final box score is a bit deceiving.
    — Don Markus, baltimoresun.com, 8 Jan. 2018
  • There was no trying to deceive you or anything like that.
    — Edward Lee, baltimoresun.com, 24 Aug. 2020
  • Look closely at these tiny worlds and yep, your eyes don’t deceive you.
    — Rachael Lallensack, Smithsonian, 7 June 2019
  • Steven might not have intended to deceive you two decades ago.
    — Amy Dickinson, Detroit Free Press, 24 June 2018
  • But his composure coupled with his fair skin and red hair deceive the eye.
    — Luis Miguel Echegaray, SI.com, 2 June 2017
  • But because of the in-store only offers, some of the deals are deceiving.
    — Nena Farrell, WIRED, 12 July 2023
  • The safety turns his hips to deceive his intentions, then covers the middle of the field.
    — cleveland, 25 Nov. 2020
  • Despite the speed, a spoof card or passport won’t deceive the system.
    — Rene Hendrikse, Forbes, 17 Mar. 2022
  • Then again, Marvel and the people working with the studio have been known to lie and deceive fans.
    — Chris Smith, BGR, 19 July 2022
  • The Eagles are fifth in the league in rushing, but that number is deceiving.
    — Paul Domowitch, Philly.com, 1 Nov. 2017
  • All of that information can be used to gain your trust or deceive your co-workers.
    — Heidi Mitchell, WSJ, 8 June 2021
  • Appearances can be deceiving, and so can a team's record.
    — Rick Armstrong, Aurora Beacon-News, 8 Feb. 2018
  • Figures can still be deceiving when talking about the state budget though.
    — Julia O'Donoghue, NOLA.com, 31 Jan. 2018
  • The company deceived prescribers and patients about its drugs.
    — WSJ, 19 June 2019
  • Survivor is a show where people lie, deceive, and poop outside in the hopes of winning money.
    — Madeleine Aggeler, The Cut, 27 Feb. 2018
  • Kent has signed up to appear on the untitled show about couples who have been deeply deceived by their partners.
    — Anousha Sakoui, Los Angeles Times, 23 Mar. 2023
  • People who shared these posts might not have intended to deceive other users.
    — Ashley Nerbovig, Detroit Free Press, 8 Nov. 2020
  • Although a speakeasy may not be what first comes to mind when thinking of fall, don’t let this candle’s name deceive you.
    — Jenna Clark, Southern Living, 24 Aug. 2023
  • Deneb is a moderately bright star in our sky, but looks are deceiving.
    — Mike Lynch / Sky Watch, Twin Cities, 28 May 2017
  • Amoruso is the first to admit that appearances can be deceiving.
    — Lindzi Scharf, latimes.com, 3 July 2019
  • Watch for any ads or content that may deceive or mislead users toward harmful sites.
    — Yec, Forbes, 17 Mar. 2021
  • Pro days don't do anything but deceive scouts and waste time until the NFL draft.
    — Doug Lesmerises, cleveland.com, 22 Oct. 2017
  • Pitt is an ex-con whose face is covered in prison tattoos, but appearances can deceive.
    — Pat Padua, Washington Post, 8 Aug. 2022
  • Don’t let that deceive you, however: This is not a roman à clef.
    — David L. Ulin, Twin Cities, 8 Feb. 2017

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'deceive.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Last Updated: