leads astray
Guides toward trouble
To lead astray is to guide someone away from the right path—literally in the sense of getting lost, but more often figuratively: to corrupt, deceive, or tempt into error or wrongdoing.
Bad company led him astray.
Don't let flattery lead you astray.
The phrase suggests someone being drawn off course by another's influence rather than wandering off independently.
Lure into intimacy
- enticeAttract by offering appeal
- lureThing that tempts
- allureAttractive, tempting quality
- temptDraw toward wrongdoing
corrupt · deprave · siren · vice · indulgence · craving · desire · weakness
Convey false details
- confuseCause mental disorientation
- disorientCause mental confusion
- befuddleTo thoroughly confuse
- muddleDisordered, bewildered state
obfuscate · misdirect · perplex · bewilder · flummox · distort · misrepresent · garble
Cause false belief
- dupeDeceive or victim
- hoodwinkTrick into false belief
- bamboozleDeceive through cunning
- beguileCharm into deception
delude · trick · con · swindle · hoax · fraud · deceit · trickery
Separate into directions
- digressStray from the topic
- detourAlternate path around obstruction
- deviateTurn from course
- wanderMove without fixed direction
veer · drift · swerve · wayward · errant · aberrant · off-track · sidetrack
Coercively alter beliefs
- coerceObtain by intimidation
- exploitNotable act or abuse
- indoctrinateImplant fixed beliefs
- propagandizeSpread biased information systematically
gaslight · influence · persuade · condition · control · groom · radicalize · cult
seduce
Lure into intimacy
tempt · corrupt · deprave · siren · vice · indulgence · craving · desire · weakness · forbidden
misinform
Convey false details
muddle · obfuscate · misdirect · perplex · bewilder · flummox · distort · misrepresent · garble · miscommunicate
deceive
Cause false belief
beguile · delude · trick · con · swindle · hoax · fraud · deceit · trickery · ruse
diverge
Separate into directions
wander · veer · drift · swerve · wayward · errant · aberrant · off-track · sidetrack · derail
brainwash
Coercively alter beliefs
- coerceObtain by intimidation
- exploitNotable act or abuse
- indoctrinateImplant fixed beliefs
propagandize · gaslight · influence · persuade · condition · control · groom · radicalize · cult · machination
lead, leads, leading, leader, leaders, leadership, mislead, misleads, misleading