1
as in ruse
a clever often underhanded means to achieve an end
her husband used every trick in the book to get out of appearing in his parish's fashion show
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Relevance
2
as in prank
a playful or mischievous act intended as a joke
thought that gluing the silver dollar to the floor and watching him struggle to pick it up would be a good trick
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3
as in ritual
a usual manner of behaving or doing
that deadbeat is up to his usual tricks: once again he's claiming the check is in the mail
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4
as in feat
an act of notable skill, strength, or cleverness
it'd be quite a trick to hit that target from here
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5
as in trait
an odd or peculiar habit
a dog with the trick of eating cabbage
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to deceive
to cause to believe what is untrue
you tricked me into thinking my ex wasn't coming to the party tonight
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in tricky
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of trick
Wendy Rose Gould, Martha Stewart, 29 Jan. 2026
Kairat threatened Thibaut Courtois’ goal in the opening minutes of that game — in front of a packed crowd — but then fell to a 5-0 defeat, with Mbappe scoring a hat-trick.
—Will Jeanes, New York Times, 28 Jan. 2026
Jasmine Fox-Suliaman, InStyle, 21 Jan. 2026
Prompt injection is a method of tricking LLMs into doing things they are normally prevented from doing.
—Bruce Schneier, IEEE Spectrum, 21 Jan. 2026
Jennifer Jolly, USA TODAY, 28 Oct. 2021
And arguably, given the variety of cask types used by the distillery, Angel’s Envy is actually a multi-trick pony.
—Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 11 June 2021
See All Example Sentences for trick
Noun
This old-school trick combines pattern, color, and scale to make large rooms feel cozier.
—Wendy Rose Gould, Martha Stewart, 29 Jan. 2026
Kairat threatened Thibaut Courtois’ goal in the opening minutes of that game — in front of a packed crowd — but then fell to a 5-0 defeat, with Mbappe scoring a hat-trick.
—Will Jeanes, New York Times, 28 Jan. 2026
Verb
Frankly, there’s no better way to trick yourself into thinking spring is finally happening than by styling some of your winter staples with a skirt.
—Jasmine Fox-Suliaman, InStyle, 21 Jan. 2026
Prompt injection is a method of tricking LLMs into doing things they are normally prevented from doing.
—Bruce Schneier, IEEE Spectrum, 21 Jan. 2026
Adjective
If the high cost of it all is more trick than treat for you, here are several ways to turn your already smart home into a spook-tacularly genius haunted house.
—Jennifer Jolly, USA TODAY, 28 Oct. 2021
And arguably, given the variety of cask types used by the distillery, Angel’s Envy is actually a multi-trick pony.
—Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 11 June 2021
See All Example Sentences for trick
Recent Examples of Synonyms for trick
Noun
-
Seth Rollins has been out with a legitimate injury, but after his ruse to win at SummerSlam, anything is possible with him.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Federal agents are currently roaming cities under the ruse of going after murderers and rapists but are instead pulling anyone who doesn't fit their idea of what an American looks like out of cars, homes and schools using thuggish methods.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
22 Jan. 2026
Noun
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In addition to music, the group launched a prank show called Loiter Squad, produced by the company behind Jackass.—
Matt Craig,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Reba McEntire is a survivor — of six years of pranks!—
Wesley Stenzel,
Entertainment Weekly,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
By the time Melania arrives at the Inaugural festivities, the film has given itself over to a series of rituals (the candlelight dinner, the Inaugural itself, the luncheon, the Starlight Ball), which feels weirdly fitting since the filmmaking itself is so ritualized.—
James Hibberd,
HollywoodReporter,
30 Jan. 2026
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Without that ritual the stress of the sale lingers in your system.—
Lien De Pau,
Forbes.com,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
This is notoriously one of the most difficult problems in autonomous aerial systems, and quite an impressive feat.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Feb. 2026
-
Bringing expert-level skiing, mountain biking, and climbing to the table is no easy feat, even for the pros.—
Dennis Lewon,
Outside,
3 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The American Culture Quiz is a weekly test of our unique national traits, trends, history and people — including current events and the sights and sounds of the United States.—
Kelly McGreal,
FOXNews.com,
1 Feb. 2026
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Hiring the same team is becoming a Baillie trait (they re-hired the same architect for the Southern Ocean Lodge rebuild), so for Huka Lodge, Virginia Fisher, the interior designer behind the 1984 renovation, was enlisted 40 years later.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Although appearances can be deceiving.—
Frank Scheck,
HollywoodReporter,
26 Jan. 2026
-
Ah, but appearances can be deceiving.—
Jim Harrington,
Mercury News,
26 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The leftover sauce can be tricky to reheat, and breast meat can dry out quickly.—
Hana Asbrink,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
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The film would feature a chaptered narrative structure more common on streaming platforms than in theaters, a massive 214 minutes of runtime, and tackle India-Pakistan relations — a tricky subject, to say less than the least.—
Hannah Abraham,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Monica Cannon-Grant, 44, pleaded guilty in September 2025 to 18 of 27 counts, including wire fraud, mail fraud and failing to file tax returns related to a scheme in which Cannon-Grant and her late husband, Clark Grant, pocketed thousands of dollars in donations to their nonprofit.—
Louis Casiano,
FOXNews.com,
30 Jan. 2026
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The lawsuit alleges that pharmacy benefit managers and insulin manufacturers created and participated in a pricing scheme that led to an increase in the price of insulin and increased profits.—
Kyle Werner,
Des Moines Register,
30 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Trick.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/trick. Accessed 4 Feb. 2026.
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