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

There’s a delightful secret history of Hollywood directors whose ruses and stratagems bought them an unusual amount of leeway with their scripts. — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 5 Aug. 2026

From this perspective, Perseus’s ruse suggests that our traffic with images and imaging has less to do with likeness to life than its arrest and incapacitation. — Jan Tumlir, Artforum, 5 Aug. 2026

Unaware of the ruse, the press, suspected GPU agents, and hired well-wishers crowded the main Mexico City rail station, eagerly awaiting Trotsky’s train—which never arrived. — Literary Hub, 28 July 2026

Fort Worth Police Department homicide detectives on Monday arrested Alonzo Reyes, 18, and Gerald Chamberlain, 17, on suspicion of murder in the alleged ruse. — Emerson Clarridge, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 July 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