misleading

adj

1. Deceptive or tending to mislead or create a false impression, even if technically true.

   “The problem does not appear so hopeless when misleading metaphor is discarded.”

verb

1. (form-of, gerund, participle, present)present participle and gerund of mislead

noun

1. A deception that misleads.

   “According to this tradition, acts of deception that are mere misleadings are morally better than acts of deception that are lies.”