trickery

noun

trick·​ery ˈtri-k(ə-)rē 

: the practice of crafty underhanded ingenuity to deceive or cheat

Synonyms of trickery

• deception
• subterfuge
• treachery
• deceptiveness
• chicanery
• jugglery
• gamesmanship
• cunning
• 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

Now, though, summer in the south is so brutal that centuries of architectural trickery is being outmatched, and in the north, houses designed to retain heat during the winter have become furnaces in sweltering summers. — Frank Andrews, CBS News, 25 June 2026

There's no shame, no trickery—just relief and a chance to rebuild your financial stability. — Charles T. Almond Iii, Forbes.com, 23 June 2026

Brazilian legend Pelé’s explosive debut at the 1958 World Cup at 17, Argentine talisman Diego Maradona’s individual brilliance and trickery at the 1986 World Cup, and French forward Kylian Mbappé’s heroics at the 2018 tournament are just a few that come to mind. — Tushaar Kuthiala, Encyclopedia Britannica, 22 June 2026

Diomande can shift from zero to full throttle in seconds on either wing and beat players with raw pace, trickery or both, all with the ball stuck to his feet. — James McNicholas, New York Times, 9 June 2026

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