SUBTERFUGE Synonyms: 68 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the noun 'subterfuge' differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of subterfuge are deception , double-dealing , fraud , and trickery . While all these words mean "the acts or practices of one who deliberately deceives," subterfuge suggests the adoption of a stratagem or the telling of a lie in order to escape guilt or to gain an end. // obtained the papers by subterfuge

Q: When could 'deception' be used to replace 'subterfuge'?

Although the words deception and subterfuge have much in common, deception may or may not imply blameworthiness, since it may suggest cheating or merely tactical resource. // magicians are masters of deception

Q: Where would 'double-dealing' be a reasonable alternative to 'subterfuge'?

The words double-dealing and subterfuge are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, double-dealing suggests treachery or at least action contrary to a professed attitude. // a go-between suspected of double-dealing

Q: When can 'fraud' be used instead of 'subterfuge'?

In some situations, the words fraud and subterfuge are roughly equivalent. However, fraud always implies guilt and often criminality in act or practice. // indicted for fraud

Q: When is 'trickery' a more appropriate choice than 'subterfuge'?

The words trickery and subterfuge can be used in similar contexts, but trickery implies ingenious acts intended to dupe or cheat. // resorted to trickery to gain their ends

subterfuge

noun

ˈsəb-tər-ˌfyüj

Definition of subterfuge next

as in deception

the use of clever underhanded actions to achieve an end propagandists who use a kind of photographic subterfuge, superimposing one image on another to create a false "reality"

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How does the noun subterfuge differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of subterfuge are deception, double-dealing, fraud, and trickery. While all these words mean "the acts or practices of one who deliberately deceives," subterfuge suggests the adoption of a stratagem or the telling of a lie in order to escape guilt or to gain an end.

obtained the papers by subterfuge

When could deception be used to replace subterfuge?

Although the words deception and subterfuge have much in common, deception may or may not imply blameworthiness, since it may suggest cheating or merely tactical resource.

magicians are masters of deception

Where would double-dealing be a reasonable alternative to subterfuge?

The words double-dealing and subterfuge are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, double-dealing suggests treachery or at least action contrary to a professed attitude.

a go-between suspected of double-dealing

When can fraud be used instead of subterfuge?

In some situations, the words fraud and subterfuge are roughly equivalent. However, fraud always implies guilt and often criminality in act or practice.

indicted for fraud

When is trickery a more appropriate choice than subterfuge?

The words trickery and subterfuge can be used in similar contexts, but trickery implies ingenious acts intended to dupe or cheat.

resorted to trickery to gain their ends

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 subterfuge Including some subterfuge in this case. —

Kansas City Star, 24 Apr. 2026 In the Television Academy's Miami Vice oral history, Johnson revealed the show’s cutting-edge content was made possible by simple subterfuge. —

Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 13 Apr. 2026 The trio went to great lengths to perpetrate the subterfuge, the indictment claims, including using hair dryers to remove packaging labels that were then reaffixed to thousands of fake replica servers. —

Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 7 Apr. 2026 Early Jewish interpreters also struggled with the fact that Rebekah’s favoritism toward Jacob and her insistence upon his subterfuge nevertheless align with God’s plan. —

Charles Preston, Encyclopedia Britannica, 13 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for subterfuge

Recent Examples of Synonyms for subterfuge

Noun

According to research from Charlemagne Labs, an AI-security startup, AI models already widely available can now sustain believable, multi-turn deception—conversations that span many back-and-forth exchanges rather than a single message—which is the hardest part of real-world scams.

— Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 9 June 2026
That was a deliberate lie, deception and/or omission.

— Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 9 June 2026