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
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
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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The new era During the crypto boom of 2021, entrepreneurs put forth lofty schemes to remake the internet with decentralized plumbing.—
Leo Schwartz,
Fortune,
17 Feb. 2026
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Classical bit commitment schemes are essential building blocks for all sorts of other methods in cryptography.—
Ben Brubaker,
Quanta Magazine,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
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In September, a swarm of Russian drones flew into Poland's airspace, prompting NATO aircraft to scramble to intercept them and shoot down some of the devices.—
DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE STAFF FROM WIRE REPORTS,
Arkansas Online,
6 Feb. 2026
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The countries announced a framework for the agreement in November, saying Argentina would ease restrictions on a range of American imports, including cattle, dairy products, medicines, chemicals, machinery, medical devices and vehicles.—
Isabel Debre,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
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In chats among Kalshi traders on the online forum Discord, some show their reluctance to reveal their trading tricks by misdirecting.—
Bobby Allyn,
NPR,
17 Feb. 2026
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Coleman was known for her daring stunt tricks in the air.—
Adam Harrington,
CBS News,
16 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Artifices.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/artifices. Accessed 19 Feb. 2026.
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