stratagems

noun

plural of stratagem
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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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 stratagems Political stratagems in art were shifting in places like New York and Los Angeles, and the Pictures Generation’s ethos began to speak to young Black and brown artists, ultimately intersecting with their desire for representation. — Hilton Als, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stratagems
  1. ruses
  2. schemes
  3. devices
  4. tricks
Noun
  • There’s a delightful secret history of Hollywood directors whose ruses and stratagems bought them an unusual amount of leeway with their scripts.
    — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 5 Aug. 2026
  • Even before pro-party AI ruses were possible, the Chinese government and its supporters flooded social media with pro-China propaganda and vicious attacks on critics.
    — Michael Schuman, The Atlantic, 7 July 2026
Definition of ruses
Noun
  • The prevalence of money laundering schemes is an indication to Hall that more regulations are needed to address retail theft.
    — Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Bill Essayli traded barbs at dueling healthcare fraud news conferences in downtown Los Angeles on Thursday morning, sniping at each other over billions lost to benefits schemes and the increasingly politicized efforts to stop them.
    — Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of schemes
Noun
  • Every transformer on the grid—from the cylinders perched on utility lines to the big spiky devices at substations—trades voltage for current at a fixed ratio.
    — Alex Pasternack, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Within a day, the researcher began seeing active scanning of the simulated Plex server and eventually successful attempts to infect devices.
    — Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of devices
Noun
  • Here are some easy tricks to make your soups tastier and healthier.
    — Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Unsurprisingly, writers have developed a myriad of strategies and tricks to push through this awkward stage.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of tricks

Browse Nearby Words

stratagem
stratagems
strategic
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Cite this Entry

“Stratagems.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stratagems. Accessed 26 Oct. 2026.

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