tradecraft

noun

trade·​craft ˈtrād-ˌkraft 

: the techniques and procedures of espionage

Examples of tradecraft in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Campaigns commonly tracked as Volt Typhoon and Salt Typhoon showed long-term access, living-off-the-land tradecraft and a focus on telecommunications, energy, transport, logistics and public services. —Emil Sayegh, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025

According to Gabbard, updating analytic tradecraft to incorporate AI will be a priority, though staff will not be replaced by machines. —Beatrice Peterson, ABC News, 20 Aug. 2025

The well-resourced group has been active for years in attacks that showcase its ability to procure exploits and execute fairly sophisticated tradecraft. —Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 12 Aug. 2025

Failure to do so would prevent the intelligence community from adopting cutting-edge technology that will allow tradecraft and operations to stay dominant in a constantly evolving landscape. —Ann Wagner, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1961, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for tradecraft

• allograft
• autograft
• autographed
• countershaft
• handicraft
• homograft
• hovercraft
• lithographed
• overdraft
• photographed
• rotorcraft
• telegraphed