lead on

Give false hope

To lead someone on is to encourage false hopes or expectations, especially romantic ones.

Someone who flirts without genuine interest leads the other person on.

The phrase can extend beyond romance to any situation where encouragement proves misleading: He led me on about the job, then hired someone else.

Stop leading her on if you're not interested.

entice

tease

Mock playfully

  • flirtPlayfully attract attention
  • temptDraw toward wrongdoing
  • lureThing that tempts

bait · seduce · tantalize · allure · charm · coax · hook · beguile · dangle · provoke

deceive

string along

Deceive by prolonging hope

  • dupeDeceive or victim
  • foolUnwise, gullible person
  • trickDeliberate deception

hoodwink · bamboozle · con · betray · deception · false promises · lie · fabricate · dissemble · two-faced

manipulate

string along

Deceive by prolonging hope

  • exploitNotable act or abuse
  • usePut into service
  • playRecreation or staged drama

maneuver · control · toy with · puppeteer · engineer · scheme · calculate · strategize · dominate · coerce

guide

show the way

Guide toward a destination

  • directUndeviating or to guide
  • usherOne who seats guests
  • escortOne who accompanies another

conduct · pilot · navigate · shepherd · steer · trailblaze · pathfind · scout · point the way · go ahead

Categories
Opposites
deception/honesty

lead ontell the truth

Communicate facts honestly

level with · come clean · speak plainly · play fair

romantic/social clarity

lead onfriend-zone

Relegated to platonic status

cut loose · set free · disabuse · disillusion

clarity of communication

lead onspell it out

Explain in full detail

Family

on, lead, leader, leading, led, leadership, mislead, leads, misleading

Familiarity
Top 50,000
Profile
Known to kids · Used worldwide · Timeless · Everyday, not technical · Rated G