trickery

noun

trick·​ery ˈtri-k(ə-)rē 

: the practice of crafty underhanded ingenuity to deceive or cheat

Synonyms

• deception
• subterfuge
• treachery
• skullduggery
• deceptiveness
• chicanery
• cunning
• jugglery
• gamesmanship
• skulduggery
• legerdemain
• artfulness

Choose the Right Synonym for trickery

deception, fraud, double-dealing, subterfuge, trickery mean the acts or practices of one who deliberately deceives.

deception may or may not imply blameworthiness, since it may suggest cheating or merely tactical resource.

magicians are masters of deception

fraud always implies guilt and often criminality in act or practice.

indicted for fraud

double-dealing suggests treachery or at least action contrary to a professed attitude.

a go-between suspected of double-dealing

subterfuge suggests the adoption of a stratagem or the telling of a lie in order to escape guilt or to gain an end.

obtained the papers by subterfuge

trickery implies ingenious acts intended to dupe or cheat.

resorted to trickery to gain their ends

Examples of trickery in a Sentence

He resorted to trickery to get what he wanted.

Delia resorted to trickery—even loading up the fishing equipment—to induce her dog into the car for his vet appointment.

Recent Examples on the Web

In the span of a few quarters, impersonation has graduated from trickery to full-spectrum mimicry. —Alexander Puutio, Forbes.com, 31 July 2025

Because the women can’t vote or hold public office, their improvements get implemented through a mixture of trickery and indirection. —Deborah Williams july 14, Literary Hub, 14 July 2025

Vicky Lopez, Spain: Various Spanish attackers could have got the nod, but Lopez’s trickery in tight situations marked her out as Spain’s best performer in their opener — one piece of skill to create a chance for Alexis Putellas was majestic. —Michael Cox, New York Times, 6 July 2025

In the Carlson interview, Kennedy dismissed the many studies and scientific consensus that shots don’t cause autism as nothing more than statistical trickery. —Patricia Callahan, CNN Money, 18 July 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1796, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

trickery

noun

trick·​ery ˈtrik-(ə-)rē 

plural trickeries

: the use of tricks to deceive or cheat