TRICKS Synonyms: 247 Similar and Opposite Words

tricks 1 of 2

noun

plural of trick

as in ruses

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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as in pranks

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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as in rituals

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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as in feats

an act of notable skill, strength, or cleverness it'd be quite a trick to hit that target from here

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as in traits

an odd or peculiar habit a dog with the trick of eating cabbage

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

conformities

tricks

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of trick

as in fools

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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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 tricks

Noun

The List is full of her signature folk-rock tricks, looking back on her long, twisted, remarkable life in music. — Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 21 Sep. 2026 In this go-round, all the franchise’s favorite tricks have lost their impact, and its provocations ring hollow. — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2026 Buttons Undone One of the simplest tricks for making a button-down shirt feel fresh and fancy? — Aemilia Madden, Glamour, 18 Sep. 2026 My father was the man of tricks, who sat for an hour mining a watermelon with a circular spoon, who carved the rind into a castle. — Literary Hub, 17 Sep. 2026 September 15 marks the release of her book, This Oak House (Chronicle, $45), packed with tips, tricks and resources. — Ingrid Schmidt, HollywoodReporter, 16 Sep. 2026 To calculate the number of holes even in large dimensions—when people can no longer visualize these figures—mathematicians use special tricks. — Manon Bischoff, Scientific American, 15 Sep. 2026 There’s an almost comically blasé way in which the performers — who are used to such spectacles — go about their work an hour before thousands of audience members will gasp and clap at the same tricks. — Jenelle Riley, Los Angeles Times, 14 Sep. 2026 From dogs dressed up in costume to those doing tricks, there was a lot of tail-wagging fun at the BowWow PowWow on Saturday. — Julie Gallant, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Sep. 2026

Verb

Short crown layers build lift and help create volume, which tricks the eye into seeing more density overall, and face-framing pieces create visual fullness around the face. — Marci Robin, Allure, 11 Aug. 2026 Lord Ormund’s Gambit Lord Ormund has many, many tricks up his green sleeves. — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 3 Aug. 2026 In effect, RedHook tricks the phone into connecting to its own powerful debugging controls, giving the malware deeper access without a computer. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 20 July 2026 Exterior walls, similarly, may be warmer than an interior wall, which tricks the thermostat and causes the AC to run longer than necessary. — Timothy Dale, The Spruce, 15 July 2026 Cthulhu, who tricks the Minions into releasing his friends from purgatory. — Damon Wise, Deadline, 29 June 2026 Removing fading flowers and their seed pods tricks the plant to redirect its energy from producing seeds to producing more scapes and flower buds, as well as putting energy into root development and storing energy for the next growing season. — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 3 June 2026 Well, at least Cindy's been fighting the good fight, which Brenda tricks her into waging alone every time. — Entertainment Weekly, 2 June 2026 One possible danger is a rogue network that tricks people into joining. — ABC News, 22 Apr. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for tricks

Noun

There’s a delightful secret history of Hollywood directors whose ruses and stratagems bought them an unusual amount of leeway with their scripts.

— Richard Brody, New Yorker, 5 Aug. 2026
Even before pro-party AI ruses were possible, the Chinese government and its supporters flooded social media with pro-China propaganda and vicious attacks on critics.

— Michael Schuman, The Atlantic, 7 July 2026

Definition of ruses

Noun

That was also when many of the brand’s signature aesthetics — the black-and-white [as] logo, bumps and interstitials that break the fourth wall, and legendary April Fool’s Day pranks — began to take shape.

— Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 10 Sep. 2026
After the film’s theatrical release on June 26, the decades-long saga of pranks and tomfoolery is finally coming to an end.

— Isabelle Farina, Variety, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of pranks

Noun

African rainmakers have long served as spiritual leaders in their communities, performing rituals to ask deities to bring rain.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 20 Sep. 2026
These impositions are gradual and incredibly well-meaning, although even their medicinal intentions come laced with the word of a foreign lord and savior, whose crucifixes and tales of forgiveness are at odds with the local rituals.

— Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 20 Sep. 2026

Definition of rituals

Noun

These feats of inclusion are hard fought, and the Academy likes to award them (even when its membership likely includes people who made those fights hard in the first place).

— Joe Reid, Vulture, 21 Sep. 2026
Linebacker Josiah Trotter also returned an interception for a touchdown, becoming the only player in NFL history to accomplish both feats in his first game.

— Rick Stroud, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of feats

Noun

Underwater solar power The researchers were looking to ways to power up underwater sensors, cameras, detectors, communication systems and other such devices using solar energy.

— Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 21 Sep. 2026
Before your treatment, find out what products and devices will be used, the recovery process, and potential complications.

— Anna Haines, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Sep. 2026

Definition of devices

Noun

Eight dining experiences are complimentary and on-point with food and drink trends.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Sep. 2026
There’s a new travel season just around the corner and Lonely Planet has released its list of 50 destinations and experiences to inspire your adventures in the year ahead.

— Maureen O'Hare, CNN Money, 22 Sep. 2026