Meaning & use
deceptive move
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Meanings
nouncountable
an action that is meant to make someone believe something false so they react in the wrong way.
Grammar: Countable: use a/an or a number before it, and make the plural with -s.
Patterns
- a deceptive move by someone
- make a deceptive move
- use a deceptive move against someone
The winger made a deceptive move to the left, then cut back and scored.
Negotiators sometimes make a deceptive move to see how the other side responds.
Her sudden smile was a deceptive move designed to put me off my guard.
nouncountablesport
a tactic in a game or sport in which a player pretends to go one way and then goes another.
Grammar: Common in sport reporting; often used with verbs like pull off or execute.
Patterns
- pull off a deceptive move
- a deceptive move fools someone
He pulled off a deceptive move that left two defenders standing still.
Coaches drill players on deceptive moves so they can create space.
Word forms
| plural | deceptive moves |
|---|
Common combinations
- make a deceptive move
- The midfielder made a deceptive move and opened up the defense.
- a clever deceptive move
- It was a clever deceptive move that nobody saw coming.
- a deceptive move by someone
- The bid was seen as a deceptive move by a rival company.
- pull off a deceptive move
- She pulled off a deceptive move and won the point.
- a deceptive move designed to do something
- It was a deceptive move designed to buy them more time.
Synonyms and how they differ
- feint
- Feint is the technical sports word for the same idea and sounds more specialized than deceptive move.
- trick
- Trick is broader and more informal; it can be playful, while a deceptive move usually aims to mislead an opponent.
- ploy
- Ploy suggests a clever plan to gain an advantage, often in arguments or business rather than sport.
Opposites
Word family
- deceive verb
- to make someone believe something that is not true
- deception noun
- the act of deliberately making someone believe something false
- deceptively adverb
- in a way that is misleading, or more than it appears
Commonly confused: deceptive move or decisive move?
deceptive move vs decisive move
Decisive means settling a question or result, so a decisive move ends something, while a deceptive move misleads someone.
Practice
The striker made a ______ move, pretending to shoot before passing the ball.
Choose one answer.
An adjective is needed before the noun 'move', and 'deceptive' is the adjective. 'Deception' is a noun, 'deceive' is a verb, and 'deceptively' is an adverb, so none of them can modify 'move' here.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “deceptive move”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.