feint 1 of 2

feint

2 of 2

verb

Synonym Chooser

How is the word feint different from other nouns like it?

Some common synonyms of feint are artifice, maneuver, ruse, stratagem, trick, and wile. While all these words mean "an indirect means to gain an end," feint implies a diversion or distraction of attention away from one's real intent.

a feint toward the enemy's left flank

In what contexts can artifice take the place of feint?

The meanings of artifice and feint largely overlap; however, artifice implies ingenious contrivance or invention.

the clever artifices of the stage

When might maneuver be a better fit than feint?

While the synonyms maneuver and feint are close in meaning, maneuver suggests adroit and skillful avoidance of difficulty.

last-minute maneuvers to avert bankruptcy

When could ruse be used to replace feint?

The words ruse and feint are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, ruse stresses an attempt to mislead by a false impression.

the ruses of smugglers

When is it sensible to use stratagem instead of feint?

In some situations, the words stratagem and feint are roughly equivalent. However, stratagem implies a ruse used to entrap, outwit, circumvent, or surprise an opponent or enemy.

the stratagem-filled game

When can trick be used instead of feint?

The words trick and feint can be used in similar contexts, but trick may imply deception, roguishness, illusion, and either an evil or harmless end.

the tricks of the trade

Where would wile be a reasonable alternative to feint?

The synonyms wile and feint are sometimes interchangeable, but wile suggests an attempt to entrap or deceive with false allurements.

used all of his wiles to ingratiate himself

Example Sentences

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 feint
Noun
His final putt on the 72nd hole of the Houston Open was a mere eight inches, yet Lee feinted to use AimPoint to line up his shot. Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Apr. 2025 The reveal that precocious little Maisie Lockwood is actually a clone gives a human face to the vague ethical quandary Fallen Kingdom feints at. James Grebey, Vulture, 6 Mar. 2025
Verb
Initially, Untamed feints in the direction of complexity. Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 17 July 2025 The gimmicks are effective, though a bit of a feint. Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for feint
Recent Examples of Synonyms for feint
Noun
  • But the notion that the two-state solution can be prevented by this or that settlement or some Israeli declaration has always been a bluff—and those recognizing Palestine today are calling it.
    Yair Rosenberg, The Atlantic, 30 Sep. 2025
  • Weyman needed geological tests to ensure the stability of his bluff-top lot.
    Bloomberg, Mercury News, 26 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Goodwin claimed Reid was disguised as a delivery driver for Deliveroo, a British online food delivery company, and traveled on an e-bike during all three shootings, the outlet reported.
    Nicole Acosta, PEOPLE, 1 Oct. 2025
  • What looks like volatility is actually opportunity disguised.
    Melissa Jun Rowley, Rolling Stone, 1 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Last year, Vancouver exchanged Tucker Poolman’s Long-Term Injured Reserve (LTI) contract for Erik Brännström in a cooperative cap management maneuver with the Colorado Avalanche.
    Thomas Drance, New York Times, 30 Sep. 2025
  • The maneuver came a day after a first attempt at the reboost was aborted after it was noticed a change of fuel tanks did not take place as expected.
    Robert Z. Pearlman, Space.com, 28 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The creamy, ultra-pigmented formula contains caffeine and hyaluronic acid to depuff the under eyes, conceal dark under eye circles, and blur fine lines and wrinkles.
    Alicia Geigel, Southern Living, 6 Oct. 2025
  • Some incarcerated men even accused officers of sending people to the SHU to conceal their own abuses.
    Jennifer Gonnerman, New Yorker, 6 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • When under-bed storage is a must, Jordan Winston, cofounder of Oxford Design in Tampa, looks to a bed skirt to camouflage any shoe organizers or containers for seasonal clothes that may be hiding under the bed.
    Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 29 Sep. 2025
  • Trillions of dollars are being poured into helping AI camouflage itself with our language.
    James Folta, Literary Hub, 26 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Unfortunately, adoption metrics often mask the deeper reality that people may know how to use the tool but don’t know when or why to use it effectively.
    Christopher Lind, Big Think, 7 Oct. 2025
  • In their 11 matches in all competitions, Arne Slot’s side have scored eight goals in the 83rd minute or later, with those late strikes keeping results on track but masking defensive deficiencies and a lack of coherence, at times, in attack.
    Tim Spiers, New York Times, 6 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Too much traffic, too much vertigo, too many incomplete explanations because everyone was trying to feign a composure that no one, not even the most distantly related, could maintain.
    Mariana Enriquez October 2, Literary Hub, 2 Oct. 2025
  • This week on Raw, Lynch and Rollins feigned those communication issues to allow Lynch to execute a cheap attack on Lee.
    Blake Oestriecher, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Feint.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/feint. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.

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