trick 1 of 3

noun

ˈtrik How to pronounce trick (audio)
Definition of tricknext
1
as in ruse
a clever often underhanded means to achieve an end her husband used every trick in the book to get out of appearing in his parish's fashion show

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2
as in prank
a playful or mischievous act intended as a joke thought that gluing the silver dollar to the floor and watching him struggle to pick it up would be a good trick

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3
as in ritual
a usual manner of behaving or doing that deadbeat is up to his usual tricks: once again he's claiming the check is in the mail

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4
as in feat
an act of notable skill, strength, or cleverness it'd be quite a trick to hit that target from here

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5
as in trait
an odd or peculiar habit a dog with the trick of eating cabbage

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

trick

2 of 3

verb

as in to deceive
to cause to believe what is untrue you tricked me into thinking my ex wasn't coming to the party tonight

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trick

3 of 3

adjective

as in tricky

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word trick different from other nouns like it?

Some common synonyms of trick are artifice, feint, maneuver, ruse, stratagem, and wile. While all these words 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

When could artifice be used to replace trick?

Although the words artifice and trick have much in common, artifice implies ingenious contrivance or invention.

the clever artifices of the stage

When would feint be a good substitute for trick?

The words feint and trick can be used in similar contexts, but feint implies a diversion or distraction of attention away from one's real intent.

a feint toward the enemy's left flank

In what contexts can maneuver take the place of trick?

While in some cases nearly identical to trick, maneuver suggests adroit and skillful avoidance of difficulty.

last-minute maneuvers to avert bankruptcy

When can ruse be used instead of trick?

While the synonyms ruse and trick are close in meaning, ruse stresses an attempt to mislead by a false impression.

the ruses of smugglers

When is it sensible to use stratagem instead of trick?

In some situations, the words stratagem and trick are roughly equivalent. However, stratagem implies a ruse used to entrap, outwit, circumvent, or surprise an opponent or enemy.

the stratagem-filled game

When is wile a more appropriate choice than trick?

The meanings of wile and trick largely overlap; however, wile suggests an attempt to entrap or deceive with false allurements.

used all of his wiles to ingratiate himself

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of trick
Noun
While some meals were designed to be briefly heated in an oven, Emma found that a quick zap in the microwave could also do the trick. —Bon Appétit, Bon Appetit Magazine, 6 June 2025 The White House plans to use a procedural trick that allows Senate Republicans to sidestep the typical filibuster rules and pass the legislation with a simple majority. —Philip Elliott, Time, 6 June 2025
Verb
Deadheading, in essence, tricks the plant into reblooming. —Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 7 June 2025 But so is societal dependence on AI. Year 2034: AI interaction appears to be indistinguishable from human-to-human interaction, even as tested by those who are versed in tricking AI into revealing itself. —Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 5 June 2025
Adjective
As Halloween approaches, investors seem fearful that good credit performance may be more trick than treat. —Telis Demos, WSJ, 21 Oct. 2022 If the high cost of it all is more trick than treat for you, here are several ways to turn your already smart home into a spook-tacularly genius haunted house. —Jennifer Jolly, USA TODAY, 28 Oct. 2021 See All Example Sentences for trick
Recent Examples of Synonyms for trick
  1. ruse
  2. prank
  3. ritual
  4. feat
  5. trait
  6. deceive
  7. tricky
  8. scheme
Noun
  • The police investigation that followed included surveillance and a ruse where investigators answered local prostitution ads and were directed to the home.
    — Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 16 June 2025
  • But this ruse is like the broader trans movement itself, which obliges you to deny the evidence dangling before your own eyes.
    — The Editors, National Review, 4 June 2025
Definition of ruse
Noun
  • During their chat, the conversation turned to some of their less savory SNL jokes, including pranks behind the scenes.
    — Victoria Edel, People.com, 20 June 2025
  • Spring break is around the corner, and every parent knows the challenge of keeping kids entertained without resorting to handing over their smartphone for an endless scroll of prank videos.
    — Nia Bowers, USA Today, 15 June 2025
Definition of prank
Noun
  • The ritual completed, my father assessed himself in the mirror.
    — Jelani Cobb, New Yorker, 14 June 2025
  • All the perfumed unguents and performative rituals of fame are present.
    — Jeff Weiss, HollywoodReporter, 12 June 2025
Definition of ritual
Noun
  • He was mobbed by his teammates to celebrate the feat.
    — Matt Jones, Arkansas Online, 16 June 2025
  • Players themselves can only give their team one PPI pick in their careers, but if both Smith and Brown accomplish the feat this season, Houston will receive two extra picks after the first round of the 2026 draft.
    — Chandler Rome, New York Times, 16 June 2025
Definition of feat
Noun
  • The study found that, once again, this trait strongly predicted breadcrumbing, and was also associated with ghosting behaviors.
    — Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 10 June 2025
  • Compared with the other dragons in the original, which character designer Nico Marlet imagined with comically lopsided proportions — bulgy eyes, oversize heads, ungainly fangs — Toothless was an elegant mix of feline and canine traits, mapped onto a sleek black reptilian body.
    — Peter Debruge, Variety, 9 June 2025
Definition of trait
Verb
  • Notably, 40 percent acknowledged faking activity to deceive monitoring systems, suggesting a struggle to maintain consistent performance outside traditional office settings.
    — Suzanne Blake, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 June 2025
  • So there’s an interesting, dark comedy element to people that are deceiving themselves.
    — Mark Hughes, Forbes.com, 30 May 2025
Definition of deceive
Adjective
  • Sure, there are thousands of SPF products to sift through, but finding the right sunscreen for your skin tone and type can be tricky.
    — Sarah Han, Allure, 11 June 2025
  • For example: dad is always a little bit tricky to buy a gift for.
    — Gretta Monahan, Boston Herald, 8 June 2025
Definition of tricky
Noun
  • Several officers who either pleaded guilty or were convicted by a jury for their role in the corruption scheme had their felony convictions tossed out in favor of misdemeanors amid allegations of prosecutorial misconduct.
    — Alex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 June 2025
  • While Google displays only the scheme and host name of the site the ad links to (for instance, https://www.microsoft.com), the ad appends parameters to the path to the right of that address.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 18 June 2025
Definition of scheme

Phrases Containing trick

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trichromatic
trick
tricked
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Cite this Entry

“Trick.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/trick. Accessed 26 Jun. 2025.

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More from Merriam-Webster on trick

Nglish: Translation of trick for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about trick

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