1
as in ruse
a clever often underhanded means to achieve an end
used the artifice of saying his grandmother had died so that he could get the last seat on the plane
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in cunning
skill in achieving one's ends through indirect, subtle, or underhanded means
using their artifice, the Greeks crafted a hollow wooden horse to hide inside and thereby gained entry into the city of Troy
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in skill
subtle or imaginative ability in inventing, devising, or executing something
a painting that could only have been created with the artifice of a master
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in deception
the inclination or practice of misleading others through lies or trickery
a crook who is a master of artifice and manipulation
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in treachery
the use of clever underhanded actions to achieve an end
he's willing to resort to artifice to get himself out of this jam
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 artifice
Some cast members, like Aesha, thrive on authenticity; some, like Max, acknowledge reality TV’s artifice and embrace performance.
—
Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 14 Oct. 2025
But also having the artifice of the soundstage was really important.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 2 Oct. 2025
The underground pop of the 2010s used to get so excited about being online, using shrinky-dink artifice to delight in poking fun at a culture that could feel shallow and strange but also organic and endlessly renewable.
—Anna Gaca, Pitchfork, 1 Oct. 2025
Their lack of artifice allows some of the cast’s other teen/20-something performers to go broad and big, especially Isolde Ardies, whose terrifying intensity as a sad-eyed rule-follower named Stacey is a real highlight.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 24 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for artifice
Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 14 Oct. 2025
But also having the artifice of the soundstage was really important.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 2 Oct. 2025
The underground pop of the 2010s used to get so excited about being online, using shrinky-dink artifice to delight in poking fun at a culture that could feel shallow and strange but also organic and endlessly renewable.
—Anna Gaca, Pitchfork, 1 Oct. 2025
Their lack of artifice allows some of the cast’s other teen/20-something performers to go broad and big, especially Isolde Ardies, whose terrifying intensity as a sad-eyed rule-follower named Stacey is a real highlight.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 24 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for artifice
Recent Examples of Synonyms for artifice
Noun
-
Odysseus, the Ithacan warrior who is as celebrated for craftiness as Achilles is for brute strength, devises a clever ruse in which the Greeks place a giant wooden horse outside Troy’s walls and pretend to sail away.—
Elizabeth D. Samet,
Foreign Affairs,
29 Oct. 2025
-
This basement ruse allows the law to be ignored as well as the special zoning requirements for homeless shelters and transitional housing.—
Lou Murray,
Boston Herald,
29 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Coaching successfully in such conditions requires a mixture of humility and self-confidence, as well as a certain cunning.—
Dermot Corrigan,
New York Times,
31 Oct. 2025
-
The story follows Toto, an almost completely blind cat with incredible ninja skills, who must use her courage and cunning to stop a deadly King Cobra that has escaped onto the streets of London, alongside her cheeky brother Silver.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
21 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Meanwhile, Helm practises Helm’s skills.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Nov. 2025
-
The challenge, as always in football, is for those players to showcase their skill within the context of a high tempo.—
Michael Cox,
New York Times,
2 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Always one step ahead of the police, Fantomas is a master of deception and chaos.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
4 Nov. 2025
-
The three-part docuseries that premiered this week chronicles how Rasmussen discovered Johnson’s deceptions and finally left him, only to be harassed by her ex after their divorce.—
Addie Morfoot,
Variety,
31 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Tarabay leads the cast as the titular Ashur, now thriving after his treachery.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
3 Nov. 2025
-
And when the surviving crew interrogates the android Ash about his treachery, the book has him pretty much spill the space beans.—
Daniel Dockery,
Vulture,
22 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
In the below example, against Real Oviedo’s zonal scheme protecting the six-yard box, three players run away from goal and one to the near-post to attack Marcus Rashford’s outswinger, resulting in Araujo scoring.—
Anantaajith Raghuraman,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
-
All of that has left the Heat seeking answers in the immediate aftermath of Rozier’s Thursday arrest stemming from his alleged involvement in a sports betting scheme.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
25 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
There is a real seriousness to the score — the scheming bad-guy music has the artfulness of Prokofiev, and even the sneaking-around cues have musical integrity and structure.—
Tim Greiving,
Vulture,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Over the course of eight episodes, the show traces how mounting pressures, deceit and betrayal led to patriarch Alex Murdaugh murdering his wife, Maggie, and their son, Paul, in 2021.—
Brianne Tracy,
PEOPLE,
5 Nov. 2025
-
Since the movie's release in September, the relationship between the two has soured and in the weeks leading up to the bond hearing the filmmaker in court filings accused Goudreau of deceit, financial coercion and threatening conduct.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
2 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Artifice.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/artifice. Accessed 9 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share