ruse

noun

ˈrüs  ˈrüz 

: a wily subterfuge

a ruse to steal my money

Choose the Right Synonym for ruse

trick, ruse, stratagem, maneuver, artifice, wile, feint mean an indirect means to gain an end.

trick may imply deception, roguishness, illusion, and either an evil or harmless end.

the tricks of the trade

ruse stresses an attempt to mislead by a false impression.

the ruses of smugglers

stratagem implies a ruse used to entrap, outwit, circumvent, or surprise an opponent or enemy.

the stratagem-filled game

maneuver suggests adroit and skillful avoidance of difficulty.

last-minute maneuvers to avert bankruptcy

artifice implies ingenious contrivance or invention.

the clever artifices of the stage

wile suggests an attempt to entrap or deceive with false allurements.

used all of his wiles to ingratiate himself

feint implies a diversion or distraction of attention away from one's real intent.

a feint toward the enemy's left flank

Examples of ruse in a Sentence

His act was just a clever ruse to get me to go out with him.

Recent Examples on the Web

Carreyrou acknowledged an obvious objection to this thesis—that there is a lengthy paper trail of Back corresponding with Satoshi—but explains it away by saying that Back was actually writing to himself as part of an elaborate ruse to throw would-be unmaskers off the trail. —Jeff John Roberts, Fortune, 8 Apr. 2026

By the finale, the ruse is revealed, and the star walks away with prize money and a behind-the-scenes tour of The Truman Show–esque operation. —Angelina Mazza, Vulture, 7 Apr. 2026

Six phone calls made from one of the suspect numbers — in between calls to the San Francisco victim on the day of his robbery — were to a Los Angeles man who was zip-tied, duct-taped and beaten inside his Los Angeles home on New Year’s Eve, following a delivery ruse. —Megan Cassidy, San Francisco Chronicle, 3 Apr. 2026

Antoine’s art dealer Armand (Lellouche), desperate to keep Antoine from falling apart, urges Suzanne to keep the ruse alive. —Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 1 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

French, from Old French, roundabout path taken by fleeing game, trickery, from reuser

First Known Use

1581, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for ruse

• blues
• boos
• booze
• brews
• bruise
• chews
• choose
• chuse
• clews
• clues
• coups
• crews

Kids Definition

ruse

noun

ˈrüs 

ˈrüz

: a clever way to fool someone : trick

Geographical Definition

Ruse

geographical name

Ru·​se ˈrü-(ˌ)sā 

variants or Turkish Ruschuk

ru̇s-ˈchük 

city in northeastern Bulgaria on the Danube River south of Bucharest population 148,500