ARTIFICE Synonyms: 197 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'artifice' different from other nouns like it?

Some common synonyms of artifice are feint , maneuver , ruse , stratagem , trick , and wile . While all these words mean "an indirect means to gain an end," artifice implies ingenious contrivance or invention. // the clever artifices of the stage

Q: When would 'feint' be a good substitute for 'artifice'?

While in some cases nearly identical to artifice , feint implies a diversion or distraction of attention away from one's real intent. // a feint toward the enemy's left flank

Q: When can 'maneuver' be used instead of 'artifice'?

While the synonyms maneuver and artifice are close in meaning, maneuver suggests adroit and skillful avoidance of difficulty. // last-minute maneuvers to avert bankruptcy

Q: When is 'ruse' a more appropriate choice than 'artifice'?

The synonyms ruse and artifice are sometimes interchangeable, but ruse stresses an attempt to mislead by a false impression. // the ruses of smugglers

Q: Where would 'stratagem' be a reasonable alternative to 'artifice'?

The words stratagem and artifice are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, stratagem implies a ruse used to entrap, outwit, circumvent, or surprise an opponent or enemy. // the stratagem -filled game

Q: When is it sensible to use 'trick' instead of 'artifice'?

The meanings of trick and artifice largely overlap; however, trick may imply deception, roguishness, illusion, and either an evil or harmless end. // the tricks of the trade

Q: When might 'wile' be a better fit than 'artifice'?

The words wile and artifice can be used in similar contexts, but wile suggests an attempt to entrap or deceive with false allurements. // used all of his wiles to ingratiate himself

artifice

noun

ˈär-tə-fəs

Definition of artifice

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

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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

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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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in deception

the inclination or practice of misleading others through lies or trickery a crook who is a master of artifice and manipulation

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

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

Some common synonyms of artifice are feint, maneuver, ruse, stratagem, trick, and wile. While all these words mean "an indirect means to gain an end," artifice implies ingenious contrivance or invention.

the clever artifices of the stage

When would feint be a good substitute for artifice?

While in some cases nearly identical to artifice, feint implies a diversion or distraction of attention away from one's real intent.

a feint toward the enemy's left flank

When can maneuver be used instead of artifice?

While the synonyms maneuver and artifice are close in meaning, maneuver suggests adroit and skillful avoidance of difficulty.

last-minute maneuvers to avert bankruptcy

When is ruse a more appropriate choice than artifice?

The synonyms ruse and artifice are sometimes interchangeable, but ruse stresses an attempt to mislead by a false impression.

the ruses of smugglers

Where would stratagem be a reasonable alternative to artifice?

The words stratagem and artifice are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, stratagem implies a ruse used to entrap, outwit, circumvent, or surprise an opponent or enemy.

the stratagem-filled game

When is it sensible to use trick instead of artifice?

The meanings of trick and artifice largely overlap; however, trick may imply deception, roguishness, illusion, and either an evil or harmless end.

the tricks of the trade

When might wile be a better fit than artifice?

The words wile and artifice can be used in similar contexts, but 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 artifice Actors have broken the fourth wall since long before the term existed, turning to the audience to acknowledge the artifice of playing out private crises under public scrutiny. — Justin Davidson, Curbed, 29 July 2026 That same blurring of artifice and sincerity informs their debut full-length, TOY COLLAGES. — Cassidy Sollazzo, Pitchfork, 13 July 2026 Like Parreno and Gordon, Bacon (who studied pictures of cricketers and soccer players) used strong doses of artifice to lead us toward a deeper reality. — Sebastian Smee, The Atlantic, 11 July 2026 The movie, whose campy tone is borrowed from melodramatic after-school specials and delivered in Early’s signature deadpan, is a study in artifice. — Sam Stone, Bon Appetit Magazine, 18 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for artifice

Recent Examples of Synonyms for artifice

Noun

There’s a delightful secret history of Hollywood directors whose ruses and stratagems bought them an unusual amount of leeway with their scripts.

— Richard Brody, New Yorker, 5 Aug. 2026
From this perspective, Perseus’s ruse suggests that our traffic with images and imaging has less to do with likeness to life than its arrest and incapacitation.

— Jan Tumlir, Artforum, 5 Aug. 2026

Definition of ruse

Noun

Nolan foregrounds the nobility that guides the character (his guilt, his dedication to his men, his yearning for his family) and neglects his wily cunning and egotism.

— Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 27 July 2026
The Odysseus of legend is known for his cunning and his eloquence.

— Hillary Busis, Vanity Fair, 15 July 2026

Definition of cunning

Noun

This process helps redefine identity and find new avenues for skills and values, proving that professional identity isn't erased when a job title disappears.

— Dr. Diane Hamilton, Forbes.com, 5 Aug. 2026
Bush and Bell both honed their leadership skills in Ferguson amid the racial unrest that followed the fatal shooting of Michael Brown by a police officer in 2014.

— ABC News, ABC News, 4 Aug. 2026

Definition of skill

Noun

Recent history suggests that the only effective counter to such meddling is a public statement alerting voters to the deception, by some credibly neutral, nonpartisan authority.

— David D. Kirkpatrick, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2026
Peter trying to have a normal holiday while grieving Tony, Mysterio’s deception, and the post-credits scene that blows Peter’s life apart — all of it feeds into where the new film finds him.

— Hannah Abraham, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026

Definition of deception

Noun

New lighting and wall labels, redesigned layouts, and the introduction of new services are all aimed at enhancing the visitor experience, while the Uffizi will protect its treasures through improved conservation and security schemes.

— News Desk, Artforum, 7 Aug. 2026
Taylor Farms alleges that Brian Thune confessed to the scheme in a March 16 phone call with company officials and again confessed and apologized for his actions in an April 8 voicemail to Taylor Farms Chief Executive Officer Bruce Taylor.

— James Powel, USA Today, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of scheme

Noun

All of this shone vividly through his work, which shared his joy, artfulness and deep feeling, and most of all privileged human experience and social interaction.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 18 June 2026
Mike Bowman, designer, furniture industry expert, and director of marketing for Harmonia Living, says this trend relies on furnishings to bring artfulness to a space—rather than just functionality.

— Patricia Shannon, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Jan. 2026

Definition of artfulness

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artifacts

artifice

artificer

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“Artifice.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/artifice. Accessed 11 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of artifice

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