trick

noun

\ ˈtrik

Definition of trick

(Entry 1 of 3)

1a : a crafty procedure or practice meant to deceive or defraud

b : a mischievous act : prank

c : a deceptive, dexterous, or ingenious feat especially : one designed to puzzle or amuse a juggler's tricks

d : an indiscreet or childish action

2a(1) : a quick or artful way of getting a result : knack the trick is to make it look natural

(2) : an instance of getting a desired result one small adjustment will do the trick

b : a technical device (as of an art or craft) the tricks of stage technique

3a : a delusive appearance especially when caused by art or legerdemain : an optical illusion a mere trick of the light

b : a habitual peculiarity of behavior or manner a horse with the trick of shying

c : a characteristic and identifying feature a trick of speech

4 : the cards played in one round of a card game often used as a scoring unit

5a : a sexual act performed by a prostitute turning tricks also : john sense 2

b : shift sense 4b(1)

c : a trip taken as part of one's employment

d : a turn of duty at the helm usually lasting for two hours

6 : an attractive child or woman a cute little trick

trick

verb

tricked; tricking; tricks

Definition of trick (Entry 2 of 3)

transitive verb

1 : to deceive by cunning or artifice : cheat

2 : to dress or adorn fancifully or ornately : ornament tricked out in a gaudy uniform

trick

adjective

Definition of trick (Entry 3 of 3)

1a : of or relating to or involving tricks or trickery trick photography trick dice

b : skilled in or used for tricks a trick horse

2a : somewhat defective and unreliable a trick lock

b : inclined to give way unexpectedly a trick knee

3 : trig

Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about trick

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Choose the Right Synonym for trick

Noun

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 trick in a Sentence

Noun

It was a trick to persuade her to give him money. She enjoys playing tricks on her friends. For his last trick, the magician made a rabbit disappear.

Verb

He tricked her by wearing a disguise. you tricked me into thinking my ex wasn't coming to the party tonight

Adjective

a trick shot in pool He has a trick knee.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Juventus have been the talk of this summer's transfer window, having been linked with a string of world-class players - as well as getting up to their usual market tricks of snapping up some of the best talent around Europe for free. — SI.com, "Merih Demiral: 4 Things to Know About Juventus' Latest Summer Recruit," 6 July 2019 The trick is finding the right company – a task that will have a great impact on the city, South Euclid-Lyndhurst Schools and the neighboring city of Beachwood. — Cliff Pinckard, cleveland.com, "Happy Fourth of July! The Wake Up for Thursday, July 4, 2019," 4 July 2019 The trick to a healthy late-night snack is to choose one that's filling enough to satisfy, but light enough to prevent a calorie surplus, which can lead to unwanted weight gain. — Cynthia Sass, Mph, Health.com, "7 Healthy Late-Night Snacks," 3 July 2019 With six courses and over 30 hours of instruction, this bundle will teach you everything from the absolute basics of Excel to its most advanced tricks and tools. — NBC News, "Don't know Microsoft Excel? This bundle will help you master it," 1 July 2019 Scorsese seems eager not only to highlight this side of Dylan but to participate in his tricks. — Richard Brody, The New Yorker, "“Rolling Thunder Revue,” Reviewed: Martin Scorsese’s Slippery Chronicle of Bob Dylan in Concert," 14 June 2019 His series of moves was certainly impressive, and his most clever trick was befriending the jury during his many days on Extinction Island. — Megan Stein, Country Living, "'Survivor: Edge of Extinction' Sparks Outrage Over Controversial Finale Winner," 16 May 2019 Read on for their styling tricks and the best mismatched earrings to buy now. — Glamour, "How to Pull Off Mismatched Earrings," 8 May 2019 To stretch time between salon visits, one of my tricks is using a color-depositing product. — Jaime Osnato, SELF, "How I Keep My Temporary Hair Color Fresh to Death," 4 Apr. 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

The Mandalay was tricked out with only the best — mahogany, brass, ivory fittings, a teak deck. — Bonnie Gross, sun-sentinel.com, "Boat tours explore underwater Biscayne National Park," 20 June 2019 Cloud gaming is about to get super-sized with these multiple entrants jockeying to deliver pristine 4K-quality games on broadband networks, without the need of a set-top box tricked out with all the workings of a PC to store the game. — Mike Snider, USA TODAY, "E3 2019: Video games take a cue from Netflix, but can Google and cloud games score?," 7 June 2019 It's tricked out with a padded laptop pocket that fits up to a 15-inch laptop and a protective hardshell pocket designated for sunglasses safekeeping. — Popular Mechanics, "This Backpack Will Organize Your Daily Commute," 10 May 2019 Makeup artist James Charles made a video about his effort to trick Apple’s Face ID. — Tripp Mickle, WSJ, "Parted Your Hair A Different Way? Your Device Might Not Unlock," 25 Sep. 2018 One of the most common attacks attempts to trick a recipient into doing a wire transfer to a bank account owned by the attacker, according to Barracuda, which compiled statistics for 3,000 randomly selected BEC attacks in its report. — Brooke Crothers, Fox News, "Lots of email scams are surprisingly simple but effective, report says," 30 Aug. 2018 In a new twist, BuzzFeed News published a look into whether the theory was actually invented in an attempt to trick right-wing, conspiracy theory–pushing Internet users, particularly of the Baby Boomer generation. — Sarah Mearhoff, Teen Vogue, "The QAnon Conspiracy Theory May Just Be a Giant Prank on Trump-Supporting Baby Boomers," 6 Aug. 2018 He and another man — who apparently did not merit an e-fit — reportedly pretended to be employees from the Orbit housing association in order to trick their way into a woman’s apartment, where one man distracted her while the other stole cash. — Madeleine Aggeler, The Cut, "Digital Police Sketch Really Nails It," 3 Apr. 2018 Their love looks so like mistrust, even to themselves, that their friends must trick them into acknowledging the truth. — Jesse Green, New York Times, "Review: In Central Park, a ‘Much Ado’ About Something Big," 11 June 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

The ‘00s are cool again, right? (Trick question: They, like Britney, have always been cool.) — Kara Nesvig, Allure, "The Top 10 Britney Spears Perfumes in Order of Greatness," 23 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'trick.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.