de
cep
tion
Plural
deceptions
1
a trick, illusion, or feat that appears magical or impossible to naïve observers
- Some historical feats were explained as deception by skeptics.
- Early stage illusions were considered acts of deception.
- The illusionist amazed the crowd with a clever deception.
- The child believed the trick was real, unaware of the deception.
- Sleight-of-hand relies entirely on deception.
2
the action of intentionally making a person believe something that is untrue
- The magician's performance relied on clever deception to create illusions.
- Deception in advertising can mislead consumers into purchasing products based on false claims.
- The spy used deception to infiltrate the enemy's ranks and gather intelligence.
- Detectives uncovered a web of deception surrounding the high-profile robbery case.
- Trust is easily broken when relationships are built on lies and deception.
Synonyms: