dirty tricks
plural noun
: underhanded stratagems for obtaining secret information about or sabotaging an enemy or for discrediting an opponent (as in politics)
dirty trickster
noun
Examples of dirty tricks in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Nevertheless, following the Watergate scandal – which included bags of cash and campaign dirty tricks – Congress enacted the more comprehensive 1974 FECA Amendments to more effectively restrain big money in American politics.
—
John J. Martin, The Conversation, 24 Feb. 2026
Allowing the dirty tricks to continue, at huge cost to taxpayers, for another three years is unacceptable.
—Betsy McCaughey, Boston Herald, 18 Jan. 2026
Texas politics, no stranger to dirty tricks, now heads into a hypercharged 2026 election season with few rules governing artificial intelligence, as cheap, realistic tools have made campaign fakery easier to create and harder to detect.
—Philip Jankowski, Dallas Morning News, 2 Jan. 2026
And so, even though Republicans were trying dirty tricks.. Democrats still prevailed.
—Jack Fink, CBS News, 13 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dirty tricks
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
John J. Martin, The Conversation, 24 Feb. 2026
Allowing the dirty tricks to continue, at huge cost to taxpayers, for another three years is unacceptable.
—Betsy McCaughey, Boston Herald, 18 Jan. 2026
Texas politics, no stranger to dirty tricks, now heads into a hypercharged 2026 election season with few rules governing artificial intelligence, as cheap, realistic tools have made campaign fakery easier to create and harder to detect.
—Philip Jankowski, Dallas Morning News, 2 Jan. 2026
And so, even though Republicans were trying dirty tricks.. Democrats still prevailed.
—Jack Fink, CBS News, 13 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dirty tricks
Cite this Entry
“Dirty tricks.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dirty%20tricks. Accessed 16 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
