mislead someone

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "mislead someone" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when referring to the act of causing someone to have a false impression or understanding about something. Example: "The advertisement was designed to mislead consumers about the product's effectiveness."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

6 human-written examples

Mr. Sternblitz added, "If you were truly trying to mislead someone, you would just leave out charts that might be negative".

The New York Times

Jenkins could mislead someone with no knowledge of wind energy in Britain into thinking that there is a wind turbine peering out of every nook and cranny.

The Guardian - Opinion

Proving fraud usually starts with finding a lie made to mislead someone into pursuing a transaction or spending money when they would not have done so if they knew the truth.

The New York Times

Tyler Hargrave, the social media director for the Eppstein Group, which represents candidates including Mr. Hopson, Ms. Truitt and Mr. Wentworth, said special-interest groups and political action committees are "assuming someone's identity, taking a candidate's name and hijacking that URL, which is directly intending to mislead someone".

The New York Times

Since the real and nominal essences of mixed modes are the same, it follows that if we know the real essence of lying (knowingly and falsely asserting that 'p' with the intention to mislead someone whom we ought not to mislead, etc), we can deduce from that idea all the components of lying, and so there is nothing more to know about lying than the ideas contained within its definition.

SEP

68 69 70 71 Conversely, omitting important harms from the abstract could seriously mislead someone's interpretation of the trial findings.

British Medical Journal

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

54 human-written examples

Seriously misleading someone is obviously wrong, but so is flooring someone with an unnecessarily harsh reality check.

Independent

"For any of the treatments for prostate cancer, it would be misleading to tell someone they have a 100 percent chance of sexual recovery, or even a 95 percent chance.

The New York Times

While refusing to put the allegation himself, Mr Hislop said the Privy Council might draw an inference that "someone misled or covered up to secure a conviction".

Independent

Had I understood myself better, had I understood that I was transgender and not just someone misleading their friends, maybe I could have explained differently.

The Guardian - Tech

With no firm sign of progress offered to the public and with the depressing disclosure that someone misled the police with false clues, the edginess of the Washington metropolitan region grew.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When writing about complex topics, use "mislead someone" to indicate an unintentional distortion of facts, rather than a deliberate attempt to deceive, which could be conveyed by terms like "defraud" or "trick".

Common error

Be precise: "mislead someone" refers to deceiving a person, while "mislead about" refers to providing false information concerning a specific subject. For example, "He tried to mislead me" versus "He tried to mislead me about the company's finances."

Linguistic Context

The phrase "mislead someone" functions as a transitive verb phrase, where "mislead" is the verb and "someone" is the direct object. According to Ludwig AI, this phrase is considered grammatically correct and can be used to describe the action of causing someone to have a false impression or understanding.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Science

20%

Wiki

20%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "mislead someone" is a grammatically sound and frequently employed verb phrase that signifies causing someone to have a false impression. According to Ludwig AI, this phrase is considered grammatically correct. While the examples are not as extensive as some other phrases, the contexts in which it appears range from news reports to scientific publications, as well as examples from the web. If you're aiming for clarity and want to steer clear of potentially imputing malicious intent, "mislead someone" serves as a useful and neutral way to describe a situation where an individual or group has been given an inaccurate or incomplete picture of reality. Remember to differentiate it from "mislead about" for precise communication.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

deceive somebody

Replaces "mislead" with "deceive", focusing on the act of causing someone to believe something that is not true.

trick someone

Suggests a cunning or skillful deception, often for amusement or personal gain.

fool someone

Emphasizes the naivety of the person being deceived, implying they were easily tricked.

misguide somebody

Highlights the act of leading someone astray, either intentionally or unintentionally.

lead someone astray

Focuses on deviating someone from the correct path or understanding.

dupe somebody

Implies a more elaborate and malicious deception, often for financial gain.

defraud someone

Specifically refers to deceiving someone for financial gain through dishonest means.

hoodwink somebody

Suggests a clever and deceptive maneuver to trick someone.

take someone for a ride

Implies exploiting someone's trust or naivety for personal benefit.

con somebody

Short for "confidence trick", suggesting a skillful deception to gain someone's trust and then exploit them.

FAQs

How can I use "mislead someone" in a sentence?

Use "mislead someone" to indicate the act of causing someone to have a wrong idea or impression. For example: "The company's marketing tactics were designed to "mislead someone" regarding the product's true capabilities."

What are some alternatives to saying "mislead someone"?

You can use alternatives such as "deceive someone", "trick someone", or "fool someone" depending on the context.

What is the difference between "mislead someone" and "lie to someone"?

"Mislead someone" suggests causing someone to have a false impression, which may or may not involve direct lies. "Lie to someone", on the other hand, specifically refers to making a false statement with the intention to deceive.

Is it always intentional when you "mislead someone"?

Not necessarily. While "mislead someone" can imply an intention to deceive, it can also describe situations where someone unintentionally provides information that leads another person to a false conclusion. Words such as "deceive someone", "trick someone" always require intent.