sleight of hand
noun phrase
1
a
: a cleverly executed trick or deception
b
: a conjuring trick requiring manual dexterity
2
a
: skill and dexterity in conjuring tricks
b
: adroitness in deception
Examples of sleight of hand in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The way the number two seed twiddles with his racket with a magician’s sleight of hand is mesmerizing.
—
Tim Ellis, Forbes.com, 11 July 2025
After trying and failing for years to pass the land swap as its own bill, in December 2014, McCain and Flake performed a legislative sleight of hand that, while common in Congress, was widely criticized as undemocratic.
—Sam MacIlwaine, Outside Online, 4 May 2025
There’s a daring sleight of hand that verges on filmed performance art, Elisabeth’s psychological engulfment literalized as her fellow parents (really, the PTA from hell) descend upon her.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 5 Feb. 2025
Its greatest sleight of hand is in its depiction of the assault and its aftermath.
—Paul A. Thompson, Pitchfork, 27 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for sleight of hand
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Tim Ellis, Forbes.com, 11 July 2025
After trying and failing for years to pass the land swap as its own bill, in December 2014, McCain and Flake performed a legislative sleight of hand that, while common in Congress, was widely criticized as undemocratic.
—Sam MacIlwaine, Outside Online, 4 May 2025
There’s a daring sleight of hand that verges on filmed performance art, Elisabeth’s psychological engulfment literalized as her fellow parents (really, the PTA from hell) descend upon her.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 5 Feb. 2025
Its greatest sleight of hand is in its depiction of the assault and its aftermath.
—Paul A. Thompson, Pitchfork, 27 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for sleight of hand
Cite this Entry
“Sleight of hand.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sleight%20of%20hand. Accessed 23 Jul. 2025.
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