delude

Some people delude themselves into thinking they’re financially independent when they’re not.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 12, 2026

He’s also “theologically” grateful to be reminded that he is “dependent,” that “I can’t delude myself in claiming that I’m self-sufficient.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 13, 2026

Let's not delude ourselves, we're looking at human extinction, the death of eight billion people, and there's no way that people will be able to survive in anything like an increase of 5º centigrade.

From Salon ● Oct. 24, 2024

“Let’s not delude ourselves, Mr. Diab will never be extradited from Canada,” he said.

From New York Times ● Apr. 21, 2023

He could no longer delude Kira into thinking this was an ordinary journey.

From "Messenger" by Lois Lowry

She concocts a fantasy, one that Arthur deludes himself into believing.

From Salon ● Oct. 12, 2024

After Strane is accused by a more recent student on social media, Vanessa is cornered: She faces or almost faces the ways she has been deluding herself, and then she deludes herself again.

From New York Times ● Mar. 6, 2020

Perhaps May also deludes herself that the present moment is especially propitious for a renewal of “our special relationship”.

From The Guardian ● Feb. 14, 2017

I’m trying to embrace the fact that everyone deludes themselves about some things.

From Slate ● Apr. 27, 2016

He has beggared two or three of her acquaintance already, under the same flimsy pretense of intended marriage, that scarcely deludes poor Abigail; she has sore misgivings as to her own fate.

From Sword and Gown A Novel by Lawrence, George A. (George Alfred)

If that’s the case, he is more deluded than he seems to think the rest of us are.

From Slate ● Apr. 30, 2026

But he is also so paranoid, deluded and consumed with self-loathing that throughout this caustically witty novel we can’t help but root for him every step of the way.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 2, 2026

Brian: Martin is deluded, heard him say before the game, "we are in a good place at the moment".

From BBC ● Sep. 13, 2025

Musk and Navarro, deluded as they may be, are self-anointed geniuses in specific areas of commerce, economics and technology.

From Salon ● Apr. 13, 2025

I pity this man’s deluded and diseased mind.

From "Native Son" by Richard Wright

There could be “huge social ruptures where one side sees the other as very cruelly exploiting AI while the other side sees the first as deluding itself into thinking there’s sentience there,” he said.

From Salon ● Jun. 10, 2025

“But I think really they will be deluding themselves if they think that that bodes well for the next general election.”

From Washington Times ● Jul. 21, 2023

Carrigan: The dinner scene between Hank and the Raven, when the Raven is just baffled that Hank is deluding himself into not being responsible for Cristobal’s death.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 24, 2023

My blood - painfully milked out of my index finger - will determine whether I have been deluding myself too.

From BBC ● Nov. 12, 2022

She spent her life weaving it, in comfortably deluding me, that I might wear the lie as proof against all injury.

From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson