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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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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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They are accused of using several ruses to force their way into people’s homes, assaulting unsuspecting residents and holding them hostage for their own money, and demanding access to their crypto accounts.
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Kids will quickly see through her ruses.
Noun
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Twelve hundred conceptual categories showed up in just 490 papers and nowhere in the formal schemes, clustered in environmental drivers and ecological processes.
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New York officials say the unit is a national leader that targets complex, high-impact corporate schemes, and Attorney General Letitia James vows legal action, calling the cutoff an outrageous political attack.
Noun
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But none of that has happened, and Hamas rejected a new disarmament proposal in March that would force it to give up its tunnel network as well as rockets, heavy munitions, explosive devices and assault rifles before any Israel withdrawal.
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This one from Amazon is only $36 and can keep your devices charged for up to one week on a single charge.
Noun
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This month was all about the art choices—and a couple clever tricks, too.
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Consider the four tricks designers keep up their sleeves for this exact situation.
Cite this Entry
“Artifices.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/artifices. Accessed 3 Jul. 2026.
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