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

Refrigerate your leftover rice in a sealed container and use this trick to quickly refresh it. — Audrey Bruno, SELF, "How to Make a Perfect Pot of Rice Without a Rice Cooker," 2 Mar. 2019 Aveeno and Olay sell a range of oil-free acne washes that would definitely do the trick. — Janell M. Hickman, Seventeen, "5 Life-Changing Skincare Tricks Women of Color Need To Know," 4 Feb. 2019 Cosworth used one more trick to eke out more performance. — Matthew Jancer, Popular Mechanics, "Pride of the Valkyries," 29 Jan. 2019 Fill your bathtub up with water Hurricane experts have continued to use this trick while facing tropical storms through the years. — Jennifer Earl, Fox News, "Hurricane Florence household hacks go viral ahead of major storm," 13 Sep. 2018 To get the size right every time (which looks nice and also makes sure your burgs cook the same), use Lee’s trick. — Natalie B. Compton, GQ, "How to Cook a Hamburger Like a Chef," 26 June 2018 His tricks were a great memory for us, and the books were a fixture of the house. — Robert J. Toth, WSJ, "The Stuff Our Parents Left Behind," 18 Nov. 2018 The entire race was effectively a referendum on Silicon Valley.[Theodore Schleifer] How a Democratic fundraiser taught everyone his Silicon Valley tricks. — Recode Staff, Recode, "Recode Daily: Waymo is launching the world’s first driverless car service next month," 14 Nov. 2018 Magician Shin Lim won the latest season of America’s Got Talent Wednesday night, and his win was just as unexpected as his magic tricks. — Megan Friedman, Country Living, "'America's Got Talent' Judge Simon Cowell Gave Shin Lim One Piece of Advice to Help Him Win," 20 Sep. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Radar sensors are excellent for measuring distance and are virtually immune to being tricked by funny lighting or weather conditions, says Uwe Class, director of safe mobility systems at ZF. — Matthew Jancer, Popular Mechanics, "Your Next Car Could Have Airbags That Inflate on the Outside," 15 Feb. 2019 Greek police allege young volunteers like Mardini are being tricked into people trafficking unknowingly, The Guardian reported. — Khushbu Shah, Teen Vogue, "Syrian Refugee Sarah Mardini Is in Prison After Saving a Boat of Fellow Refugees," 6 Sep. 2018 Then again, this kind of massive deception has happened in real life the UK; British police officers infiltrated activist organizations and at least seven women were tricked into fake long-term relationships. — Nina Metz, chicagotribune.com, "‘Claws’ Episode 4 recap: 5 things to know about ‘Scream’ and Quiet Ann finding her voice," 1 July 2018 According to the Sheriff’s Office, scam callers have been posing as TRICARE agents to trick people into giving their personal information. — Jeff Weiner, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Sheriff warns of phone scam targeting military families," 21 June 2018 For almost 11 years, hackers have had an easy way to get macOS malware past the scrutiny of a host of third-party security tools by tricking them into believing the malicious wares were signed by Apple, researchers said Tuesday. — Dan Goodin, Ars Technica, "For almost 11 years, hackers could easily bypass 3rd-party macOS signature checks," 12 June 2018 Is the prone deer the Trump Family, playing dead to trick the greedy reptile into a fatal mistake, ready to burst forth from its enemy’s distended, overtaxed guts in triumph, perhaps while wearing a tiny red MAGA hat? — Mark Lisanti, Vanities, "The Trump Family Power Rankings: Week Ending April 20, 2018," 21 Apr. 2018 The simulators work by tricking cellphones nearby to register with them, rather than normal cell towers. — Matt Zapotosky, chicagotribune.com, "DHS detects possible cellphone surveillance in Washington and doesn't know who's doing it," 4 Apr. 2018 Social gaming had caught on, however, and Zynga soared to the top of the heap by tricking Facebook users into spamming their friends. — Owen Thomas, San Francisco Chronicle, "How Facebook’s platform made it worth billions — and set it up for a fall," 20 Mar. 2018

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.