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
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The film meticulously recreated their steps in linking the Watergate break-in and Republican ‘dirty tricks’ campaign to the highest echelons of power in America.
—
Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 17 May 2026
Initially, liberal voters weren’t expected to approve the suspension of anti-gerrymandering rules as a means of countering the G.O.P.’s dirty tricks in other states; in the end, the suspension easily won.
—Jon Allsop, New Yorker, 24 Apr. 2026
Some in the opposition are still expecting dirty tricks in the next days and weeks, before Orbán formally hands over power.
—Anne Applebaum, The Atlantic, 13 Apr. 2026
Secrets triumphs two to one despite Bannon adopting her own dirty tricks.
—Rob Crilly, The Washington Examiner, 27 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dirty tricks
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Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 17 May 2026
Initially, liberal voters weren’t expected to approve the suspension of anti-gerrymandering rules as a means of countering the G.O.P.’s dirty tricks in other states; in the end, the suspension easily won.
—Jon Allsop, New Yorker, 24 Apr. 2026
Some in the opposition are still expecting dirty tricks in the next days and weeks, before Orbán formally hands over power.
—Anne Applebaum, The Atlantic, 13 Apr. 2026
Secrets triumphs two to one despite Bannon adopting her own dirty tricks.
—Rob Crilly, The Washington Examiner, 27 Mar. 2026
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 21 May. 2026.
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