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
In fact, the tricks enumerated in the paper are already getting old, one of the paper’s authors, Tina Yeung, told me. — Kaitlyn Tiffany, The Atlantic, 4 Sep. 2026 The trick is not to expect surface detail — just a clean geometric shape. — Jamie Carter, Space.com, 4 Sep. 2026
Verb
Artificial intelligence bots posing as immigration lawyers are increasingly prevalent on social media, where their goal is to trick immigrants and their families into paying out thousands of dollars. — Anna Giaritelli, The Washington Examiner, 20 Aug. 2026 ClickFix works by tricking you into performing an action on your computer that stealthily downloads and installs malware. — Alan Henry, PC Magazine, 14 Aug. 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
  • And Billie and Greg’s ongoing ruse is classic sitcom fodder, even if there’s not much to it besides wanting to keep Samir happy.
    — Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 1 Sep. 2026
  • The Decoy Plane, a documentary chronicling the ruse, on Friday, September 4.
    — Denise Petski, Deadline, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of ruse
Noun
  • The prank came amid rumors about Stern’s impending retirement and the cancellation of his show.
    — Caitlin Huston, HollywoodReporter, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Before class started, and the teacher had not yet arrived, students may have been clowning around in the room, making jokes, playing pranks, or talking loudly and inappropriately.
    — The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of prank
Noun
  • Hossain and her collaborators have conjured an internalized hellscape marked by sensual photography, gnarly cyst makeup, and suffocating matrimonial rituals involving turmeric and milk — all redolent with upper-class heteronormative rot.
    — Ritesh Mehta, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2026
  • The science on salt stomping is thin, but the science on consistent, phone-free wind-down rituals is not.
    — Samantha Agate, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of ritual
Noun
  • The shattering of the deadlift record proved that, although the feats did not end there.
    — Rob Tanner, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Banda has scored in eight different home appearances this season, a feat achieved by only four players in NWSL history.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of feat
Noun
  • Other soccer-like traits at Ryan Field include a very high proportion of the seats being under cover and the striking sight that what Americans across the land have come to know as the Upper Deck experience just does not exist here.
    — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 6 Sep. 2026
  • His ability to square the ball up and not chase out of the strike zone are probably his best traits.
    — Jim Bowden, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of trait
Verb
  • Williams will not be charged because Heggebo’s offence was successfully deceiving a match official.
    — Graham Scott, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Your eyes aren't deceiving you — the little delivery robots rolling down Washington DC streets are becoming a more common sight.
    — Mike Stunson, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of deceive
Adjective
  • Kyle Ross / Imagn Images First there was Bohm doubling back — a debatable decision, certainly, with a strong center fielder and a ball hit toward one of the trickiest parts of Citizens Bank Park.
    — Charlotte Varnes, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
  • But sometimes, inaccurate coordinates or a drifting boat make the search trickier.
    — Evgenia Anastasakos, Chicago Tribune, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of tricky
Noun
  • Smith, though, is still adjusting to coach Mike Macdonald’s defensive scheme.
    — Andrew Destin, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026
  • The bigger those two factor primes are, conventional thinking goes, the harder their multiplication is to undo—a sentiment that has made RSA one of the world’s most popular encryption schemes since its debut nearly a half-century ago.
    — Peter Hall, Scientific American, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of scheme

Phrases Containing trick

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trick
tricked
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Cite this Entry

“Trick.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/trick. Accessed 9 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on trick

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about trick

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