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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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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The jury also heard testimony from local public school educators who struggled with disruptions linked to social media, including sextortion schemes targeting children.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
24 Mar. 2026
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The fraud section last year led the largest coordinated takedown of health care fraud schemes in Justice Department history totaling nearly $15 billion in false claims.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
24 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Perhaps most striking were allegations that Navarro bought silicone pregnancy props and tracking devices.—
Milena Malaver,
Miami Herald,
26 Mar. 2026
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Designed for modern professionals, this sleek backpack features anti-theft design elements to keep laptops and other devices extra secure.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Ball, who has been on a heater of late, set the tone early by showing off his full bag of tricks — shooting 3s off one foot, throwing no-look dimes and outleaping opponents for rebounds, seemingly toying with the Kings at times.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
25 Mar. 2026
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Through that rigorous daily routine, Chaser didn’t just learn tricks.—
Hanna Wickes,
Miami Herald,
23 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Artifices.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/artifices. Accessed 31 Mar. 2026.
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