trick 1 of 3

noun

ˈtrik How to pronounce trick (audio)
Definition of tricknext
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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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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

trick

2 of 3

verb

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

trick

3 of 3

adjective

as in tricky

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Dissimilar Words

Synonym Chooser

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

Some common synonyms of trick are artifice, feint, maneuver, ruse, stratagem, and wile. While all these words mean "an indirect means to gain an end," trick may imply deception, roguishness, illusion, and either an evil or harmless end.

the tricks of the trade

When could artifice be used to replace trick?

Although the words artifice and trick have much in common, artifice implies ingenious contrivance or invention.

the clever artifices of the stage

When would feint be a good substitute for trick?

The words feint and trick can be used in similar contexts, but feint implies a diversion or distraction of attention away from one's real intent.

a feint toward the enemy's left flank

In what contexts can maneuver take the place of trick?

While in some cases nearly identical to trick, maneuver suggests adroit and skillful avoidance of difficulty.

last-minute maneuvers to avert bankruptcy

When can ruse be used instead of trick?

While the synonyms ruse and trick are close in meaning, ruse stresses an attempt to mislead by a false impression.

the ruses of smugglers

When is it sensible to use stratagem instead of trick?

In some situations, the words stratagem and trick are roughly equivalent. However, stratagem implies a ruse used to entrap, outwit, circumvent, or surprise an opponent or enemy.

the stratagem-filled game

When is wile a more appropriate choice than trick?

The meanings of wile and trick largely overlap; however, wile suggests an attempt to entrap or deceive with false allurements.

used all of his wiles to ingratiate himself

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

Some common synonyms of trick are artifice, feint, maneuver, ruse, stratagem, and wile. While all these words mean "an indirect means to gain an end," trick may imply deception, roguishness, illusion, and either an evil or harmless end.

the tricks of the trade

When could artifice be used to replace trick?

Although the words artifice and trick have much in common, artifice implies ingenious contrivance or invention.

the clever artifices of the stage

When would feint be a good substitute for trick?

The words feint and trick can be used in similar contexts, but feint implies a diversion or distraction of attention away from one's real intent.

a feint toward the enemy's left flank

In what contexts can maneuver take the place of trick?

While in some cases nearly identical to trick, maneuver suggests adroit and skillful avoidance of difficulty.

last-minute maneuvers to avert bankruptcy

When can ruse be used instead of trick?

While the synonyms ruse and trick are close in meaning, ruse stresses an attempt to mislead by a false impression.

the ruses of smugglers

When is it sensible to use stratagem instead of trick?

In some situations, the words stratagem and trick are roughly equivalent. However, stratagem implies a ruse used to entrap, outwit, circumvent, or surprise an opponent or enemy.

the stratagem-filled game

When is wile a more appropriate choice than trick?

The meanings of wile and trick largely overlap; however, wile suggests an attempt to entrap or deceive with false allurements.

used all of his wiles to ingratiate himself

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

Some common synonyms of trick are artifice, feint, maneuver, ruse, stratagem, and wile. While all these words mean "an indirect means to gain an end," trick may imply deception, roguishness, illusion, and either an evil or harmless end.

the tricks of the trade

When could artifice be used to replace trick?

Although the words artifice and trick have much in common, artifice implies ingenious contrivance or invention.

the clever artifices of the stage

When would feint be a good substitute for trick?

The words feint and trick can be used in similar contexts, but feint implies a diversion or distraction of attention away from one's real intent.

a feint toward the enemy's left flank

In what contexts can maneuver take the place of trick?

While in some cases nearly identical to trick, maneuver suggests adroit and skillful avoidance of difficulty.

last-minute maneuvers to avert bankruptcy

When can ruse be used instead of trick?

While the synonyms ruse and trick are close in meaning, ruse stresses an attempt to mislead by a false impression.

the ruses of smugglers

When is it sensible to use stratagem instead of trick?

In some situations, the words stratagem and trick are roughly equivalent. However, stratagem implies a ruse used to entrap, outwit, circumvent, or surprise an opponent or enemy.

the stratagem-filled game

When is wile a more appropriate choice than trick?

The meanings of wile and trick largely overlap; however, 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 trick
Noun
Some tricks to slow down ripening and prevent bruising include separating bananas from the bunch, hanging them from a hook, and wrapping their stems in plastic wrap to prevent the release of ethylene gas. —Heather Riske, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Mar. 2026 Closing the Gap Both models can run most of the same apps and software tricks through iPadOS 26, and both have access to Apple’s generative AI, called Apple Intelligence. —Andrew Gebhart, PC Magazine, 5 Mar. 2026
Verb
False spring is a period of unseasonably warm weather, which can trick us into thinking winter is over, according to Homes and Gardens. —John Tufts, IndyStar, 5 Mar. 2026 So Hero, sadly, poor thing was subjected to his uncle’s terrible bad dad tricks. —Max Gao, IndieWire, 4 Mar. 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
  1. ruse
  2. prank
  3. ritual
  4. feat
  5. trait
  6. deceive
  7. tricky
  8. scheme
Noun
  • The shooting occurred following an apparent theft ruse by Thomas, who was captured on video twice stopping by Angelo’s Jewelry in the 3800 block of West 26th Street.
    — William Lee, Chicago Tribune, 4 Mar. 2026
  • While the ruse was going, Schreiner lashed out at anyone who was skeptical.
    — Kenneal Patterson, Vanity Fair, 19 Feb. 2026
Definition of ruse
Noun
  • In the novel, Amanda and Oliver attempt to get Eloise to leave by way of some nasty pranks, but Book Eloise remains undeterred and, in fact, loves the challenge of trying to both one-up and win over the twins.
    — Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 4 Mar. 2026
  • Fashion audiences have been skeptical or even suspicious of his work, accusing Demna of designing these enormous sneakers and blobby silhouettes to play some kind of prank on rich people delusional enough to buy the stuff.
    — Rachel Tashjian, CNN Money, 27 Feb. 2026
Definition of prank
Noun
  • Strange rituals conducted by children unfold on the beach; dance parties at the big club devolve into fever dream bacchanals; cryptic, threatening symbols appear near the rental house.
    — John Warner, Chicago Tribune, 7 Mar. 2026
  • New evidence of ritual at Bruchhauser Steine In this remarkable pit, which had been carved into the rock and sealed with soil, archaeologists uncovered quartz.
    — Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 7 Mar. 2026
Definition of ritual
Noun
  • Abbott, whose campaign has reportedly raised a hundred and six million dollars, is seeking a fourth term, a feat that would be unprecedented in the state’s history.
    — The New Yorker, New Yorker, 3 Mar. 2026
  • Zip's Cafe celebrates 100 years of business this year − a rare feat for restaurateurs, especially nowadays.
    — Kaycee Sloan, Cincinnati Enquirer, 3 Mar. 2026
Definition of feat
Noun
  • The competing hypotheses, which seek to identify common traits between Little Foot and any of these species, highlight why the fossil continues to be such a rich resource of information that could contain clues to human evolution.
    — Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 7 Mar. 2026
  • Gardeners seeking to increase the biodiversity of lawns might consider allowing weeds with certain traits to remain.
    — Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 7 Mar. 2026
Definition of trait
Verb
  • After the remaining contestants voted out Johnny Weir, Tara Lipinski and Eric Nam, Higgins was blindsided to discover her close ally, Rob Rausch, was deceiving her all along.
    — Melina Khan, USA Today, 27 Feb. 2026
  • In addition, the complaint alleges that Walmart deceived customers by falsely claiming that 100% of customer tips would go to drivers.
    — Marley Malenfant, Austin American Statesman, 27 Feb. 2026
Definition of deceive
Adjective
  • Expressly partisan redistricting could be tricky in Florida, where voters approved an anti-gerrymandering amendment in 2010.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 2 Mar. 2026
  • The buzz around the awards eased its potentially tricky transition to Manchester, with the industry turning out in force.
    — Mark Sutherland, Variety, 1 Mar. 2026
Definition of tricky
Noun
  • Ari Lauer is set to be sentenced Monday for assisting high-flying East Bay fraudsters Jeff and Paulette Carpoff and their company, DC Solar, pull off what the government says amounted to the largest criminal fraud scheme ever within the sprawling federal court district that includes Sacramento.
    — Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 6 Mar. 2026
  • Do’s daughter as a condition of the bribery scheme.
    — Claire Wang, Oc Register, 6 Mar. 2026
Definition of scheme

Phrases Containing trick

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Cite this Entry

“Trick.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/trick. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on trick

Nglish: Translation of trick for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about trick

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