sleight of hand
noun phrase
1
a
: a cleverly executed trick or deception
b
: a conjuring trick requiring manual dexterity
2
a
: skill and dexterity in conjuring tricks
b
: adroitness in deception
Examples of sleight of hand in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Serra was developing some bespoke sleight of hand for Noble Mobile.
—
Charlotte Goddu, New Yorker, 6 Oct. 2025
Other Texans will be upset that sports betting has come to the state not through the ballot box, but through some regulatory sleight of hand.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 Sep. 2025
Just as Manning accelerated his growth through obsessive attention to detail, studying defenses and the sleight of hand of play-action artists like Boomer Esiason, Nix is more than willing to get bleary-eyed in the film room or pick the brain of future Hall of Famer Drew Brees.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 1 Sep. 2025
In that sleight of hand lies Netanyahu’s method: clarity would force a choice, while ambiguity keeps every option open.
—Yonatan Touval, Time, 22 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sleight of hand
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Charlotte Goddu, New Yorker, 6 Oct. 2025
Other Texans will be upset that sports betting has come to the state not through the ballot box, but through some regulatory sleight of hand.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 Sep. 2025
Just as Manning accelerated his growth through obsessive attention to detail, studying defenses and the sleight of hand of play-action artists like Boomer Esiason, Nix is more than willing to get bleary-eyed in the film room or pick the brain of future Hall of Famer Drew Brees.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 1 Sep. 2025
In that sleight of hand lies Netanyahu’s method: clarity would force a choice, while ambiguity keeps every option open.
—Yonatan Touval, Time, 22 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sleight of hand
Cite this Entry
“Sleight of hand.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sleight%20of%20hand. Accessed 7 Oct. 2025.
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