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
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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
Making no effort to conceal the creaking obviousness of the sets—the site of a locomotive crash, a veranda overlooking a beautiful garden—Gomes revels in a blatant Old Hollywood artifice.
—
Justin Chang, New Yorker, 3 Apr. 2025
There is no artifice once you're blasted in the face with scorching hot chicken wings.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 21 Mar. 2025
The film’s self-deprecatingly comedic artifice nonetheless captures chilling details of an adventure that starts with a demagogue’s cult-like following and ends with bloody corpses.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 28 Mar. 2025
The sense of artifice is present throughout the film.
—Bill Desowitz, IndieWire, 18 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for artifice
Justin Chang, New Yorker, 3 Apr. 2025
There is no artifice once you're blasted in the face with scorching hot chicken wings.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 21 Mar. 2025
The film’s self-deprecatingly comedic artifice nonetheless captures chilling details of an adventure that starts with a demagogue’s cult-like following and ends with bloody corpses.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 28 Mar. 2025
The sense of artifice is present throughout the film.
—Bill Desowitz, IndieWire, 18 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for artifice
Recent Examples of Synonyms for artifice
Noun
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Can Charity, who is not exactly mentally stable, maintain the ruse forever?—
Maureen Lee Lenker,
EW.com,
2 May 2025
-
Despite multiple interviews, background checks, and reference calls, the ruse held until malware activity triggered an alert.—
Alonzo Martinez,
Forbes.com,
25 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Neither his fearsome resolve nor his supreme cunning—which had enabled him to vanquish his rivals and spiritually crush his inner circle—was in evidence in 1941.—
Stephen Kotkin,
Foreign Affairs,
19 Sep. 2017
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Despite being outnumbered 50-to-1 by the Five Families of the Italian mafia, the Westies’ legendary brutality and cunning have given them the leverage necessary to share the spoils through a fragile détente.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
18 Mar. 2025
Noun
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His first-period goal was a reminder of his skill and experience: a quality tipped shot that takes years of practice to master.—
Joshua Kloke,
New York Times,
8 May 2025
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However, their skills were often downplayed by claims that they’d been signed to generate ticket sales and boost interest in the struggling league.—
The Editors,
JSTOR Daily,
8 May 2025
Noun
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Through shocking testimonies from government insiders, confidential documents, and private audio recordings from the highest level of the military, BODYGUARD OF LIES exposes the tangled web of deception fed to the American public by the U.S. government during its 20-year war in Afghanistan.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
7 May 2025
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Mauriello, a senior lecturer at the University of Maryland, said in his experience, people's sympathetic nervous system could be activated by a host of reasons — beyond deception.—
Juliana Kim,
NPR,
30 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Press play below to learn more about Wells’ treachery, and to get a sneak peek at the fugitive interacting with her latest target.—
Matt Webb Mitovich,
TVLine,
7 Apr. 2025
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Sinners is one of the great vampire movies of the modern age, mining the legend of these perpetual outsiders who desperately yearn to belong, but whose silky promises are rooted in treachery.—
Stephanie Zacharek,
Time,
29 Apr. 2025
Noun
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In 2021 and 2022, Robinson received about $76,000 through the bogus billing scheme, according to prosecutors.—
Douglas Hanks,
Miami Herald,
13 May 2025
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Hometown’s stock price rose by more than 900% during the scheme.—
Dan Mangan,
CNBC,
13 May 2025
Noun
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In Towards Zero, Rhys plays a troubled detective who tries to untangle a toxic web of jealousy, deceit and dysfunction.—
Brianne Tracy,
People.com,
29 Apr. 2025
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But today, finally, Santos has been held accountable for his years of fraud, deceit and theft.—
Barnini Chakraborty,
The Washington Examiner,
25 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The line that the AI isn’t forming a personal opinion is a kind of sneaky subterfuge.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
8 May 2025
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Even under sweeping Western sanctions, Russia was able to stay afloat through subterfuge and with support from allies like China and North Korea.—
Linggong Kong,
The Conversation,
25 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Artifice.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/artifice. Accessed 21 May. 2025.
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