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Showing results for misleading. Search instead for miswording.
Synonyms

misleading

American  
[mis-lee-ding] / mɪsˈli dɪŋ /

adjective

  1. deceptive; tending to mislead.

misleading British  
/ mɪsˈliːdɪŋ /

adjective

  1. tending to confuse or mislead; deceptive

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • misleadingly adverb
  • misleadingness noun

Etymology

Origin of misleading

First recorded in 1630–40; mislead + -ing 2

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

If that’s not intentionally misleading the public, then what is?

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 22, 2026

However, appearances in the quantum world can be misleading.

From Science Daily • Apr. 22, 2026

Gorka’s claims of battlefield victories are often exaggerated or misleading about who was targeted and why, according to security officials and counterterrorism analysts.

From Salon • Apr. 22, 2026

In other words, don't let ministers go before MPs and say things you know to be a misleading picture.

From BBC • Apr. 20, 2026

“She said I should never come here again. That I am misleading her son.”

From "Americanah" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.