as in ruses
a clever often underhanded means to achieve an end
tried various stratagems to get the cat into the carrier, but the feisty feline was wise to them all
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Recent Examples of stratagems
There are some other fun stats in there, including a ranking of the game's most popular stratagems.
—
Ian Stokes, Space.com, 3 Mar. 2026
Ian Stokes, Space.com, 3 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stratagems
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
“Stratagems.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stratagems. Accessed 31 Mar. 2026.
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