mislead

verb

mis·​lead ˌmis-ˈlēd How to pronounce mislead (audio)
misled ˌmis-ˈled How to pronounce mislead (audio) ; misleading
Synonyms of mislead

transitive verb

: to lead in a wrong direction or into a mistaken action or belief often by deliberate deceit
His comments were a deliberate attempt to mislead the public.

intransitive verb

: to lead astray : give a wrong impression
Exciting as they are, they mislead.—E. M. Forster
misleader noun
misleadingly
ˌmis-ˈlē-diŋ-lē How to pronounce mislead (audio)
adverb

Synonyms of mislead

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deceive, mislead, delude, beguile 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

mislead implies a leading astray that may or may not be intentional.

I was misled by the confusing sign

delude implies deceiving so thoroughly as to obscure the truth.

we were deluded into thinking we were safe

beguile stresses the use of charm and persuasion in deceiving.

was beguiled by false promises

Examples of mislead in a Sentence

We believe that her comments were deliberately meant to mislead the public. We believe that her comments were deliberately meant to mislead.
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.
Florida accuses the company of knowingly engineering its platforms to be addictive to teens, and misleading consumers about its safety. — Arkansas Online, 10 Oct. 2026 The Detroit Free Press and other Michigan- and national-based media organizations have said the claims are misleading or lacking context. — Barnini Chakraborty, The Washington Examiner, 9 Oct. 2026 New research presented September 29 at the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (EADV) Congress 2026 found that nearly 95% of the most viral videos on the trend contained misleading claims. — Taylor Nicioli, CNN Money, 8 Oct. 2026 The campaign celebrates tangible human interaction, but in doing so, misled its audience. — Jake Kanter, Deadline, 8 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for mislead

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of mislead was before the 12th century

Rhymes for mislead

See All Rhymes for mislead

Browse Nearby Words

mislay
mislead
misleader
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Mislead.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mislead. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

mislead

verb
mis·​lead (ˈ)mis-ˈlēd How to pronounce mislead (audio)
misled -ˈled How to pronounce mislead (audio) ; misleading
: to lead in a wrong direction or into a mistaken action or belief
misleading adjective

Legal Definition

mislead

verb
mis·​lead mis-ˈlēd How to pronounce mislead (audio)
misled -ˈled How to pronounce mislead (audio) ; misleading

transitive verb

: to lead into a mistaken action or belief : to cause to have a false impression

intransitive verb

: to create a false impression compare deceive
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