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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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

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

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

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

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 Both of these characters are men that are really raw, and there’s not a lot of artifice to either one of them. — Rebecca Ford, Vanity Fair, 11 Aug. 2026 The surfaces continue to change as the button keeps on getting pushed, placing and recasting Diana, Lalo and The King in new contexts, each vaguely modelled on different film genres and with varying levels of playful artifice. — Josh Slater-Williams, IndieWire, 7 Aug. 2026 But there wasn’t the slightest hint of artifice in his optimistic nature. — Cynthia Zarin, Harpers Magazine, 4 Aug. 2026 One day scholars will teach Lepore’s work alongside Arendt’s, seeing that Lepore interrogates not simply a modern moment, but traces our current machine age back to the 17th-century conceit for artifice as improvement. — Bethanne Patrick, Los Angeles Times, 31 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for artifice

Recent Examples of Synonyms for artifice

Noun

And Billie and Greg’s ongoing ruse is classic sitcom fodder, even if there’s not much to it besides wanting to keep Samir happy.

— Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 1 Sep. 2026
The Decoy Plane, a documentary chronicling the ruse, on Friday, September 4.

— Denise Petski, Deadline, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of ruse

Noun

Rhaenyra also dismisses Mysaria, a wise move carried out in a very unwise manner, given the woman’s cunning.

— Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
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

Definition of cunning

Noun

Bonnell appears to be treating software as another part of the motorcycle's suspension system and something that can be adjusted to suit the rider’s preferences, skill, and terrain.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 2 Sep. 2026
This may not come as a surprise in a world not only of AI, but widespread access to technology that requires ordinary people to develop typing skills.

— Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of skill

Noun

Years of deception, half-truths, and emotional compromises finally surface, forcing Rasheda, Geneva, Naomi, Tiffany, and Bridgette to confront not just the men in their lives, but one another.

— Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 27 Aug. 2026
Prevention of fraud, deception and public accountability are reasons given for this suggestion.

— Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of deception

Noun

For his treachery in conspiring with Gwayne, Daemon claims Corlys as his own prisoner.

— Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 10 Aug. 2026
Guides spoke of the monthlong siege that ended only because of the treachery of a local noble who turned on the sultan and allowed British troops to scale the walls.

— Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 2 July 2026

Definition of treachery

Noun

Smith, though, is still adjusting to coach Mike Macdonald’s defensive scheme.

— Andrew Destin, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026
The bigger those two factor primes are, conventional thinking goes, the harder their multiplication is to undo—a sentiment that has made RSA one of the world’s most popular encryption schemes since its debut nearly a half-century ago.

— Peter Hall, Scientific American, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of scheme

Noun

No need to get bogged down in questions about provenance, artfulness, long-form storytelling, or even metaphors.

— Robin Givhan, Vanity Fair, 19 Aug. 2026
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

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 7 Sep. 2026.

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