Synonyms of trickery

trickery

noun

ˈtri-k(ə-)rē 

as in deception

the use of clever underhanded actions to achieve an end

Delia resorted to trickery—even loading up the fishing equipment—to induce her dog into the car for his vet appointment

Synonyms & Similar Words

• deception
• subterfuge
• treachery
• skullduggery
• deceptiveness
• chicanery
• cunning
• jugglery
• gamesmanship
• skulduggery
• legerdemain
• artfulness
• deceit
• stealth
• secrecy
• scheming
• jiggery-pokery
• chicane
• wile
• artifice
• hanky-panky
• plotting
• deceitfulness
• shrewdness
• duplicity
• deviousness
• sneakiness
• underhandedness
• guile
• slyness
• hypocrisy
• shiftiness
• fakery
• craftiness
• dishonesty
• dissimulation
• insincerity
• double-dealing
• slipperiness
• design
• slickness
• quackery
• crookedness
• wiliness
• imposture
• humbuggery
• oiliness
• shadiness
• dupery
• crookery
• cageyness
• caginess
• sharpness
• dirty tricks
• dirty pool
• foxiness
• guilefulness

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• sincerity
• artlessness
• ingenuousness
• guilelessness
• forthrightness
• directness
• openness
• candor
• plainness
• candidness
• plainspokenness

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun trickery differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of trickery are deception, double-dealing, fraud, and subterfuge. While all these words mean "the acts or practices of one who deliberately deceives," trickery implies ingenious acts intended to dupe or cheat.

resorted to trickery to gain their ends

Where would deception be a reasonable alternative to trickery?

The meanings of deception and trickery largely overlap; however, deception may or may not imply blameworthiness, since it may suggest cheating or merely tactical resource.

magicians are masters of deception

When is double-dealing a more appropriate choice than trickery?

The words double-dealing and trickery can be used in similar contexts, but double-dealing suggests treachery or at least action contrary to a professed attitude.

a go-between suspected of double-dealing

In what contexts can fraud take the place of trickery?

Although the words fraud and trickery have much in common, fraud always implies guilt and often criminality in act or practice.

indicted for fraud

When could subterfuge be used to replace trickery?

While in some cases nearly identical to trickery, subterfuge suggests the adoption of a stratagem or the telling of a lie in order to escape guilt or to gain an end.

obtained the papers by subterfuge

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of trickery

Frimpong got lucky with the cross that drifted over Henderson’s head to make it 2-1, but against opponents who sit deep, his pace and trickery will be important assets. —James Pearce, New York Times, 11 Aug. 2025

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has overseen efforts to restore the names of Confederate generals to our forts through some linguistic trickery to skirt a law which forbids it, finding other Americans with the same last name. —Ross Rosenfeld, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Aug. 2025

Alas, this bit of trickery also ensnarls Bianca’s mom. —Jessica M. Goldstein, Vulture, 6 Aug. 2025

In the Carlson interview, Kennedy dismissed the many studies and scientific consensus that shots don’t cause autism as nothing more than statistical trickery. —Patricia Callahan, CNN Money, 18 July 2025