mislead

/ˌmis-ˈlēd/

verb

  1. to lead in a wrong direction or into a mistaken action or belief often by deliberate deceit

  2. to lead astray : give a wrong impression

His comments were a deliberate attempt to mislead the public.

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.