deception may or may not imply blameworthiness, since it may suggest cheating or merely tactical resource.
magicians are masters of deception
fraud always implies guilt and often criminality in act or practice.
indicted for fraud
double-dealing suggests treachery or at least action contrary to a professed attitude.
a go-between suspected of double-dealing
subterfuge suggests the adoption of a stratagem or the telling of a lie in order to escape guilt or to gain an end.
obtained the papers by subterfuge
trickery implies ingenious acts intended to dupe or cheat.
resorted to trickery to gain their ends
Examples of deception in a Sentence
She accuses the company of willful deception in its advertising.
His many deceptions did not become known until years after he died.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
While the deception operation was ongoing, the agency used its capabilities to track the crew member in a mountain crevice, the official said.โ๐ Image Olivia Rinaldi, CBS News, 5 Apr. 2026 There are, naturally, layers of deception to scrape away first.โ๐ Image Justin Chang, New Yorker, 3 Apr. 2026 Taiwanese authorities have already highlighted Chinese deception activity in the air and at sea, including large military drones transmitting false aircraft identities.โ๐ Image Micah McCartney, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Apr. 2026 In 2024, North Korea claimed to have successfully testlaunched a multiwarhead missile, but South Korea quickly dismissed it as deception to cover up a failed launch.โ๐ Image Arkansas Online, 30 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for deception
Word History
Etymology
Middle English decepcioun, from Anglo-French deception, from Late Latin deception-, deceptio, from Latin decipere to deceive
