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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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

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
The trick is mostly knowing when to leave the potatoes alone. — Andy Baraghani, Bon Appetit Magazine, 6 Oct. 2026 The pieces read as clothes rather than kit, which Splits59 says is the entire trick of dressing well in a transitional season. — Zoë MacKay, Footwear News, 5 Oct. 2026
Verb
The real risk is that a criminal could forge your signature on a deed or trick you into signing paperwork that transfers ownership, then file that document with the local office that maintains property records. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 3 Oct. 2026 In 1943, the British intelligence service, MI6, came up with a wacky strategy to trick Adolf Hitler into thinking the Allies planned to invade Greece and Sardinia (not true) instead of Sicily (true), which Nazi Germany was heavily defending. — Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 1 Oct. 2026
Adjective
As Halloween approaches, investors seem fearful that good credit performance may be more trick than treat. — Telis Demos, WSJ, 21 Oct. 2022 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 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
  • What about when Carole was hiding in the closet to try to overhear Luann calling her a pedophile, and Jules Wainstein kept trying to ruin her ruse?
    — Brian Moylan, Vulture, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Last-ditch plan for prosecution Authorities next developed what Smallwood described as a last-ditch plan to prosecute Tanzer — a ruse that could catch him lying about the rape.
    — Tim Stelloh, NBC news, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of ruse
Noun
  • Amanda Seyfried’s daughter pulled a spooky prank on her just in time for Halloween.
    — Hannah Malach, InStyle, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Over at Team Mauve’s house, the prank starts falling into place when Green and his teammates Jodie Sweetin and Beverley Mitchell get a knock on the door regarding a pizza delivery.
    — Natalia Senanayake, PEOPLE, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of prank
Noun
  • As the investigation uncovers a string of killings linked to a strange ritual, the two are pushed into working together, facing down otherworldly threats as well as unfinished business from Lan’s past.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 8 Oct. 2026
  • As for us, we are engaged in the usual ritual of brewing a cuppa stimulation — our choice today is English breakfast — and foraging for items of interest.
    — Ed Silverman, STAT, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of ritual
Noun
  • James Ehnes plays both in a feat that captures the full range of this giant of 20th-century music.
    — Mike Hamersly, Miami Herald, 12 Oct. 2026
  • This year five restaurants were named James Beard Award semifinalists, a feat for a city of around 196,000.
    — Leslie Pariseau, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of feat
Noun
  • The team’s brightest moment comes when Olivia realizes that Daisy has incorporated her unique personality traits, like praying repetitiously and loving the musical Annie.
    — Noel Murray, Vulture, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Publishers sold albums of facsimile autographs, and the interest developed into the field of graphology, the practice of analyzing a person’s handwriting to purportedly discern personality traits.
    — Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of trait
Verb
  • Some veterans say recruiters deceived them and Haitian authorities tortured them; their families call them scapegoats.
    — Astrid Suárez, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Some of the Colombians have long maintained that they were deceived about the mission and arrived at the home after Moïse had already been killed.
    — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of deceive
Adjective
  • Interpreting the message from the options market at this juncture is tricky.
    — Oliver Renick, CNBC, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Both Lawler and Kean are seeking to use their strong support for Israel as a wedge issue in their tricky reelection fights.
    — Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of tricky
Noun
  • The court order stems from a finding that Shkreli organized an anti-competitive scheme to perpetuate his company Vyera Pharmaceuticals’ monopoly in the anti-parasitic drug Daraprim.
    — Dan Mangan, CNBC, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Similar Excel spreadsheets are used to organize schemes where Indian scammers in Delhi or Kolkata impersonate Microsoft tech support, the Internal Revenue Service or even the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
    — Snigdha Poonam, The Dial, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of scheme

Phrases Containing trick

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trichromatic
trick
tricked
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Cite this Entry

“Trick.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/trick. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on trick

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about trick

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