Synonym Chooser

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

Some common synonyms of stratagem are artifice, feint, maneuver, ruse, trick, and wile. While all these words mean "an indirect means to gain an end," stratagem implies a ruse used to entrap, outwit, circumvent, or surprise an opponent or enemy.

the stratagem-filled game

In what contexts can artifice take the place of stratagem?

While in some cases nearly identical to stratagem, artifice implies ingenious contrivance or invention.

the clever artifices of the stage

When is feint a more appropriate choice than stratagem?

The synonyms feint and stratagem are sometimes interchangeable, but feint implies a diversion or distraction of attention away from one's real intent.

a feint toward the enemy's left flank

When could maneuver be used to replace stratagem?

The meanings of maneuver and stratagem largely overlap; however, maneuver suggests adroit and skillful avoidance of difficulty.

last-minute maneuvers to avert bankruptcy

Where would ruse be a reasonable alternative to stratagem?

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

the ruses of smugglers

When would trick be a good substitute for stratagem?

While the synonyms trick and stratagem are close in meaning, trick may imply deception, roguishness, illusion, and either an evil or harmless end.

the tricks of the trade

When is it sensible to use wile instead of stratagem?

Although the words wile and stratagem have much in common, 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 stratagem This stratagem was exacerbated by prosecutors’ racializing of the case. The Editors, National Review, 9 Dec. 2024 Not according to Hinch and Our Man Petzold, who reports the strategy is part of the Tigers’ plan to maximize the effectiveness of their opener/bulk-relief stratagem. Ryan Ford, Detroit Free Press, 23 Sep. 2024 Among the stratagems employed by PBMs to boost profits, the FTC says, is steering health plans and patients to their own affiliated pharmacy chains. Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 11 July 2024 Hindenburg, in his mid-eighties and growing weak, became fed up with Schleicher’s Machiavellian stratagems and dispensed with him as Chancellor. Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 18 Mar. 2024 See All Example Sentences for stratagem
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stratagem
Noun
  • Barriers lifted in advance, Mellor and his French Resistance passengers hurtled through at 80mph leaving guards little chance of spotting the night-time ruse.
    Iain Macauley, Forbes.com, 5 June 2025
  • The ruse, Smith suggested in her memoir, was employed successfully on at least one occasion.
    Laurie Gwen Shapiro, New Yorker, 2 June 2025
Noun
  • Galeotti said these schemes can increase the national deficit and threaten the long-term viability of health care for seniors, individuals with disabilities and other citizens who need these programs.
    Jenna Sundel Hollie Silverman, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 June 2025
  • And most recycling schemes are still small-scale, unable to keep up with the sheer volume of cheap and short-use clothing flowing through the system.
    Zoe Bayliss Wong, Forbes.com, 30 June 2025
Noun
  • This isn't the first time the former Sports Illustrated model has shared parenting tips and tricks.
    Clare Fisher, People.com, 23 June 2025
  • The magic trick is that Sunny gradually learned how to distinguish its POV from the characters’, showing empathy not only for the Gang’s victims, but also the Gang itself.
    Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 22 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Stratagem.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stratagem. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.

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