Thesaurus results for ARTIFICES

artifices

noun

plural of artifice

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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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 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for artifices

Noun

There’s a delightful secret history of Hollywood directors whose ruses and stratagems bought them an unusual amount of leeway with their scripts.

— Richard Brody, New Yorker, 5 Aug. 2026
Even before pro-party AI ruses were possible, the Chinese government and its supporters flooded social media with pro-China propaganda and vicious attacks on critics.

— Michael Schuman, The Atlantic, 7 July 2026

Definition of ruses

Noun

But Craig's supporters have argued that the four-term congresswoman is the more electable candidate, especially as Flanagan has been tied to the Minnesota governor's handling of the multimillion-dollar fraud schemes in the state.

— Caroline Linton, CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026
Longtime safety Harrison Smith might not return for 2026, costing the Vikings defense its connective tissue, invaluable in defensive coordinator Brian Flores’ chaotic schemes.

— Jacob Robinson, New York Times, 11 Aug. 2026

Definition of schemes

Noun

Kevin Lamarque | Reuters Instead of seeing supercomputers as devices that customers buy and use — the argument goes — these systems, filled with Nvidia's graphics processing units that can cost $3 million per rack, look like profitable investments.

— Kif Leswing, CNBC, 11 Aug. 2026
Technology has significantly evolved since then, with 80% of 911 calls nationwide coming from wireless mobile devices rather than landlines tied to specific addresses.

— Sophia Eppley, AJC.com, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of devices

Noun

Standard Tactics Lose Their Edge Here The biggest surprise was that the tricks our agency uses for clients didn’t work here!

— Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026
The voices and visions play tricks and offer surprises, and there’s a sense of humour even when tragedy is lurking in the wings.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 11 Aug. 2026

Definition of tricks

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artificers

artifices

artificial

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“Artifices.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/artifices. Accessed 14 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of artifices

noun

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