trickery

noun

trick·​ery ˈtri-k(ə-)rē 

: the practice of crafty underhanded ingenuity to deceive or cheat

Synonyms of trickery

• deception
• subterfuge
• treachery
• deceptiveness
• chicanery
• jugglery
• gamesmanship
• cunning
• skulduggery
• legerdemain
• artfulness

Choose the Right Synonym for trickery

deception, fraud, double-dealing, subterfuge, trickery mean the acts or practices of one who deliberately deceives.

deception may or may not imply blameworthiness, since it may suggest cheating or merely tactical resource.

magicians are masters of deception

fraud always implies guilt and often criminality in act or practice.

indicted for fraud

double-dealing suggests treachery or at least action contrary to a professed attitude.

a go-between suspected of double-dealing

subterfuge suggests the adoption of a stratagem or the telling of a lie in order to escape guilt or to gain an end.

obtained the papers by subterfuge

trickery implies ingenious acts intended to dupe or cheat.

resorted to trickery to gain their ends

Examples of trickery in a Sentence

He resorted to trickery to get what he wanted.

Delia resorted to trickery—even loading up the fishing equipment—to induce her dog into the car for his vet appointment.

Recent Examples on the Web

But ultimately, Williams believes AI can be an extension of editing trickery that has existed since the dawn of filmmaking. —Jake Kanter, Deadline, 27 May 2026

Consider, too, relatively new forms of trickery, such as manipulating substitution procedures or spying on rivals. —Cesar R. Torres, The Conversation, 26 May 2026

Then DeLand went to work and Darlington tried a little trickery. —Chris Hays, The Orlando Sentinel, 23 May 2026

But those movies, in different ways, were about trickery and deceit, about drawing the audience into a head game of perception. —Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 14 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1796, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

trickery

noun

trick·​ery ˈtrik-(ə-)rē 

plural trickeries

: the use of tricks to deceive or cheat