deceiver

/di-ˈsēv/

Middle English, from Anglo-French deceivre, from Latin decipere, from de- + capere to take

verb

  1. to cause to accept as true or valid what is false or invalid

  2. ensnare

  3. to be false to

deceiving customers about the condition of the cars

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

verb

  1. to deceive oneself especially concerning oneself

Faced with the choice between attributing their performance to the presence of the answers or their own ability, people chose to self-deceive, convincing themselves that their performance was due not to the answers but to themselves.