1
as in magic
the art or skill of performing tricks or illusions for entertainment
the illusionist's show is an entertaining blend of legerdemain and over-the-top showmanship
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in deception
the use of clever underhanded actions to achieve an end
the reduction of the deficit is due in part to financial legerdemain that masks the true costs of running the government
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of legerdemain
Between April 1 and 7, the fair gathered 60 brands at the Palexpo exhibition center that broke new records, showcased world premieres and offered an ever-growing array of technical and artistic legerdemain in their latest high-end timepieces.
—
Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 17 Apr. 2025
No matter how Congress formally scores the price of extending the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, as well as other Trump initiatives, accounting legerdemain can’t make fiscal reality disappear.
—Howard Gleckman, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2025
This legerdemain enabled Bragg to circumvent the two-year misdemeanor statute of limitations — in other words, the time to charge this stale case, which is based on seven-year-old bookkeeping entries, lapsed in 2019.
—The Editors, National Review, 29 May 2024
Any such legislative legerdemain would be an unwarranted assault to circumvent the caps.
—State Senator Stephen Harding, Hartford Courant, 26 Feb. 2024
See All Example Sentences for legerdemain
Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 17 Apr. 2025
No matter how Congress formally scores the price of extending the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, as well as other Trump initiatives, accounting legerdemain can’t make fiscal reality disappear.
—Howard Gleckman, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2025
This legerdemain enabled Bragg to circumvent the two-year misdemeanor statute of limitations — in other words, the time to charge this stale case, which is based on seven-year-old bookkeeping entries, lapsed in 2019.
—The Editors, National Review, 29 May 2024
Any such legislative legerdemain would be an unwarranted assault to circumvent the caps.
—State Senator Stephen Harding, Hartford Courant, 26 Feb. 2024
See All Example Sentences for legerdemain
Recent Examples of Synonyms for legerdemain
Noun
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And adults are happy to buy their favorite bears online, while kids can still experience the magic of building their own bear in store.—
Emma Hinchliffe,
Fortune,
23 Feb. 2026
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For 10-year-old Caleah Boyd, the magic is practical and meaningful.—
Alexa Liacko,
CBS News,
23 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The Stolen Girl series follows a mother whose young daughter goes missing after a sleepover, unfolding into a story of deception, family secrets, and betrayal.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
24 Feb. 2026
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That endorsement comes from someone who has watched every moment of every season’s deception and strategy unfold.—
Hanna Wickes,
Kansas City Star,
23 Feb. 2026
Noun
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There’s almost nothing in the way of metaphor or trickery.—
Olivier Lafontant,
Pitchfork,
25 Feb. 2026
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Such trickery to assign great value to low-worth materials also underpins the surprise ending for The Girl Who Cried Pearls, which follows a poor boy falling in love with a girl overwhelmed by sorrow to the point her tears turn into pearls.—
Etan Vlessing,
HollywoodReporter,
23 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Both nations are among the tournament's top contenders, which made the last few practices stateside simmering with subterfuge.—
Ren Clayton,
CBS News,
10 Feb. 2026
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The anti-ICE movement seems to be more of a subterfuge by those who oppose immigration restrictions in general.—
Reader Commentary,
Baltimore Sun,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
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That said, there are plenty of reasons — none involving any kind of partisan chicanery — that explain why California elections seems to drag on and vote totals shift as ballots are steadily counted.—
Mark Z. Barabak,
Mercury News,
18 Feb. 2026
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That said, there are plenty of reasons — none involving any kind of partisan chicanery — that explain why California elections seems to drag on and vote totals shift as ballots are steadily counted.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Perfidy — from the French perfidie via the Latin perfidia — means deceitfulness, treachery or a breach of faith or promise.—
Harmeet Kaur,
CNN Money,
21 Jan. 2026
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But despite all this, not every Chelsea fan outside his family will regard this transfer as treachery.—
Simon Johnson,
New York Times,
17 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Of course, the retort is that this would be irritating and exasperating to be continually deluged with alerts about AI deceptiveness.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
24 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Soprano Nicole Car’s initially elegant Elizabeth accumulates both physical and vocal intensity as the opera exposes more and more skulduggery around her.—
Scott Cantrell,
Dallas Morning News,
28 Feb. 2026
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But this week social media posts began to surface alleging the firm was engaged in skullduggery.—
Jeff John Roberts,
Fortune,
26 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Legerdemain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/legerdemain. Accessed 1 Mar. 2026.
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