as in ruses
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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Recent Examples of artifices
Jean-Luc Godard used nonprofessionals to rend the dramatic fabric and expose the artifices of performance.
—
Richard Brody, New Yorker, 25 Feb. 2026
Owens was initially indicted on one count of fraudulent schemes and artifices, one count of forgery, four counts of perjury and one count of tampering with physical evidence earlier this year.
—Jenna Sundel, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Nov. 2025
Richard Brody, New Yorker, 25 Feb. 2026
Owens was initially indicted on one count of fraudulent schemes and artifices, one count of forgery, four counts of perjury and one count of tampering with physical evidence earlier this year.
—Jenna Sundel, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for artifices
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
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Many suspect a spam call and don't pick up the phone, leading foundation staff to sometimes devise ruses.—
Kelly Meyerhofer,
jsonline.com,
8 Oct. 2025
Noun
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How pump-and-dump schemes work From the Nasdaq to the New York Stock Exchange, the FBI says pump-and-dump complaints have jumped 330% over the last year.—
Tim McNicholas,
CBS News,
10 Mar. 2026
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The last year has seen several high-profile athletes and coaches charged by the Justice Department in sports betting and related gambling schemes.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The Natives in his book are largely presented as plot devices, not flesh-and-blood individuals.—
Carolina A. Miranda,
The Atlantic,
5 Mar. 2026
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The New York Times reported Wednesday that Kennedy wrote a letter to universities in January suggesting 71 topics, including food allergies, dietary supplements, wearable devices, composting and crop rotation.—
Berkeley Lovelace Jr,
NBC news,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Other royals allegedly have their own tricks—like Princess Kate, who’s said to use a clutch bag to avoid endless handshakes.—
Bailey Bujnosek,
InStyle,
10 Mar. 2026
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One of my best tricks of the trade?—
Shea Simmons,
Southern Living,
9 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Artifices.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/artifices. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.
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