trick

noun

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\ 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 Guess' new collaboration with FriendsWithYou, announced on Wednesday (April 7), does the trick with vibrant, fun silhouettes complete with decorative embroidery and logos. — Rania Aniftos, Billboard, "J Balvin Radiates Positivity for New Guess x FriendsWithYou Collection," 7 Apr. 2021 Nasal sprays containing medication can do the trick for many people who suffer from the cold-like symptoms of seasonal allergies such as a runny nose. — Laura Wheatman Hill, chicagotribune.com, "Best nasal spray for seasonal allergies," 4 Apr. 2021 After months of winter, a swipe of lip balm doesn't necessarily do the trick. — Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, "This $6 Lip Scrubber Is the Trick to Getting Rid of Dry, Crusty Lips Once and For All," 30 Mar. 2021 This baby blue floral dress definitely does the trick. — Lauren Caruso, CNN Underscored, "20 Easter dresses you’ll want to wear all spring long," 29 Mar. 2021 Why bother with torturous stilettos when a comfy flat will do the trick? — Christian Allaire, Vogue, "Ariana Grande Is Ready for Sky-High Heels Again," 29 Mar. 2021 Baptism does the trick for the former, but the idea that we are simply born evil and that the sin was absolved only through the ultimate suffering and death of the son of God seems like more of a burden for the latter. — Cyrena Touros, Harper's BAZAAR, "Little Oblivions Is the Perfect Vehicle for Julien Baker's Explorations of Faith," 28 Mar. 2021 But the offense certainly needs recharging, and perhaps the rest from this weekend will do the trick. — Sarah Mclellan, Star Tribune, "Badly outshot, Wild defies odds to shut out Blues 2-0," 26 Mar. 2021 For a heavy, deep scratch, a permanent marker matching the color of your wood will do the trick. — Washington Post, "Our homes have taken a beating over the past year. Here’s how to undo the damage.," 25 Mar. 2021 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb The siblings would identify properties that could be marketed to potential buyers and trick homeowners into allowing showings, according to the indictment. — Natalie Obregon, NBC News, "California siblings accused of listing homes without owners' consent in alleged real-estate scam," 7 Apr. 2021 Will laws catch up with web designers who intentionally trick users? — Lila Maclellan, Quartz, "How to spot design traps like the “money bomb” Trump used to dupe supporters," 4 Apr. 2021 In a country where people for decades under communism found ways to trick the system to get by, some are again looking for ways to circumvent the rules to maintain income. — Star Tribune, "Some Poles flout virus rules as harder lockdown takes effect," 27 Mar. 2021 One of Roth’s plans to escape was to trick Martinson into moving to New York. — Laura Marsh, The New Republic, "Philip Roth’s Revenge Fantasy," 22 Mar. 2021 The effort, which also includes Comcast, should help the carriers automatically block robocalls, since a common tactic of scammers is to display a fake Caller ID to trick consumers into answering. — Aaron Pressman, Fortune, "The wireless industry is trying a new tactic to eliminate robocalling," 17 Mar. 2021 His job is to relay information to the public, not threaten doom, or coax or trick us into doing things. — David Harsanyi, National Review, "Fauci Is Not Your God," 22 Feb. 2021 So, here’s a list of things to trick our psyches and take us back to March 2020. — Lia Beck, refinery29.com, "The Bachelorette Season 16 Premiere Recap: We’re Back, Baby!," 13 Oct. 2020 The biggest responsible for the villains’ plot is Mordo, who will trick Wanda into evoking up Nightmare but ends up bringing chaos to the multiverse by unleashing interdimensional entities. — Chris Smith, BGR, "This might be how ‘WandaVision’ connects to ‘Doctor Strange 2’," 10 Mar. 2021 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.