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
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
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Recent Examples of trick
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
Susan Selasky, Freep.com, 3 July 2025
Simple dish soap and a soft sponge (after the pan has cooled) should do the trick for daily use situations.
—Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 3 July 2025
Mike Britton, Forbes.com, 30 June 2025
These devices essentially trick phones into connecting to them like a normal cell tower, allowing the operator to track that device's location.
—ArsTechnica, 27 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for trick
Noun
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
Verb
The only trick to making this sheet pan version is making the sweet meringue topping, also known as an Italian meringue.
—Susan Selasky, Freep.com, 3 July 2025
Simple dish soap and a soft sponge (after the pan has cooled) should do the trick for daily use situations.
—Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 3 July 2025
Adjective
The Problem With Traditional Security Awareness Training Phishing, social engineering and business email compromise (BEC) represent today’s most prevalent and damaging attacks—all of which rely on tricking people.
—Mike Britton, Forbes.com, 30 June 2025
These devices essentially trick phones into connecting to them like a normal cell tower, allowing the operator to track that device's location.
—ArsTechnica, 27 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for trick
Recent Examples of Synonyms for trick
Noun
-
The scammers could also use your account to scam others out of money with the same verification ruse for passengers and drivers.—
Suzanne Blake,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 July 2025
-
The elaborate ruse was likely an effort to steal cryptocurrency, which Lazarus has become known for.—
Michael Kan,
PC Magazine,
19 June 2025
Noun
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The marijuana photos that appeared this weekend when people googled Taylor Police Department were likely a prank that, for a moment, had some in the community snickering, including the deputy chief.—
Frank Witsil,
Freep.com,
14 July 2025
-
What starts as a simple favor to keep her great-niece turns into a wild Halloween night filled with jump scares and pranks — but as usual, nothing frightens her more than bad manners and disrespect. Boo 2!—
Jane LaCroix,
People.com,
13 July 2025
Noun
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The ritual, the rhythm, and the sleep that followed – deep and undisturbed.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 July 2025
-
For may college football fans around, say, 25-45, EA’s NCAA Football franchise was a ritual every year.—
Chris Branch,
New York Times,
10 July 2025
Noun
-
That’s an impressive feat of engineering, to be sure.—
Mike Feibus,
USA Today,
10 July 2025
-
The 82-year-old from Delray Beach hit the shot of a lifetime twice in the same round on Sunday at Park Ridge Golf Course in Lake Worth, making his first-ever ace on the second hole before somehow pulling off the feat again on the ninth.—
Cameron Priester,
Sun Sentinel,
9 July 2025
Noun
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What wasn’t reported was Rivera’s aversion to pitches coming near him, a trait that’s fatal to long-term hitting success.—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
4 July 2025
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This method allowed scientists to precisely manipulate traits like shape, color, and pattern — something impossible to do with living specimens.—
Stephanie Edwards,
Discover Magazine,
3 July 2025
Verb
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Step two: Defend against junk fees These nefarious fees are designed either to confuse or deceive consumers.—
Jill Schlesinger,
Mercury News,
7 July 2025
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Several state legislators and other state officials will testify that they were deceived by the conspirators regarding the operations of Phoenix Solutions, according to prosecutors.—
Evan Mealins,
The Tennessean,
2 July 2025
Adjective
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For all of its allure, though, nostalgia is a tricky element for a restaurant to trade in, and a risky thing to rely on.—
Helen Rosner,
New Yorker,
6 July 2025
-
An entryway can often be a tricky place to furnish.—
Rachel Trujillo,
People.com,
5 July 2025
Noun
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In the film, Superman comes under suspicion by the public and the government over his Kryptonian heritage thanks to a scheme by tech billionaire Luthor to push Superman out of the way of his grand plans to expand his criminal enterprise worldwide.—
Tim Lammers,
Forbes.com,
11 July 2025
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Two sources told Reuters he was suspected of being involved in a scheme to embezzle millions of dollars earmarked for border defenses.—
Clare Sebastian,
CNN Money,
11 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Trick.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/trick. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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