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
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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
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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
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of artifice
The attorney’s office said Owens was indicted on one count of perjury, one count of fraudulent schemes and artifices, two counts of taking the identity of another, two counts of forgery, and one count of theft by extortion.
—
Jenna Sundel, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Nov. 2025
Sennott and her costars speak with an irritatingly fake affect, are shallower than a puddle in the desert and prize selfishness, indolence and artifice.
—Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 30 Oct. 2025
Elegant yet illusory, the pearls become armor for a woman determined to turn artifice into art.
—Lilah Ramzi, Vogue, 25 Oct. 2025
All of Beaton’s extravagance, artifice and pretence stemmed from him trying to become something he was never born into.
—Hikmat Mohammed, Footwear News, 20 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for artifice
Jenna Sundel, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Nov. 2025
Sennott and her costars speak with an irritatingly fake affect, are shallower than a puddle in the desert and prize selfishness, indolence and artifice.
—Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 30 Oct. 2025
Elegant yet illusory, the pearls become armor for a woman determined to turn artifice into art.
—Lilah Ramzi, Vogue, 25 Oct. 2025
All of Beaton’s extravagance, artifice and pretence stemmed from him trying to become something he was never born into.
—Hikmat Mohammed, Footwear News, 20 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for artifice
Recent Examples of Synonyms for artifice
Noun
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The New York Colored American reported that some offers of short-term work for Black men — moving livestock to or from Kentucky, for example — were ruses that ended with kidnappings.—
Equal Justice Initiative,
USA Today,
6 Nov. 2025
-
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
Noun
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Because Maradona, in a burst of cunning and trickery, also used his hand.—
Esteban Campanela,
CNN Money,
25 Nov. 2025
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Landing a good apartment in New York City can take some cunning.—
Matthew Sedacca,
Curbed,
5 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Investopedia defines it as a job done outside the office, typically requiring manual labor or skills in a particular trade.—
Daniel de Visé,
USA Today,
9 Nov. 2025
-
Fisher-Price 4-in-1 Activity Table Foster your little one’s motor skills with this activity table that allows babies ages 6 months and up to flip, slide, roll, spin, and press the buttons, wheels, and lights.—
Mia Huelsbeck,
PEOPLE,
8 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
McCoy is charged with theft by deception, violation of oath of office, and three counts of false statements and writings.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Harper got fired for the aforementioned deception.—
Alison Herman,
Variety,
6 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
With season 4 rapidly approaching, now's the time to prepare for the treachery to come.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
22 Dec. 2025
-
Instead of being killed, Ashur takes Spartacus’ life and is consequently rewarded for his treachery by the Roman Empire.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
1 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Cherki is a dying breed of player, particularly now he’s been transferred to a Premier League which has moved away from off-the-cuff dribblers and towards set-play schemes.—
Jordan Campbell,
New York Times,
8 Nov. 2025
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Another worker operates the machine’s main controller, using a programming scheme for 3D printers called G-code to tell the printer what to build and how to build it.—
Jake Goodrick,
Sacbee.com,
8 Nov. 2025
Noun
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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
-
Emotional confusion, even deceit, and certainly judgmental attitudes are in the air.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
8 Jan. 2026
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Standing against them is notorious kingpin Bada Chaudhary (Sharad Kelkar), whose syndicate operates through layers of deceit through corridors in Saudi Arabia, Ethopia, Italy, Thailand and the UK.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
7 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Artifice.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/artifice. Accessed 9 Jan. 2026.
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