1
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
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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4
as in feats
an act of notable skill, strength, or cleverness
it'd be quite a trick to hit that target from here
Synonyms & Similar Words
5
as in traits
an odd or peculiar habit
a dog with the trick of eating cabbage
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in fools
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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of tricks
Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 Jan. 2026
Tommy engages the audience in all of his tricks and shows kids how much fun reading can be.
—Travis Pinson, Dallas Morning News, 19 Jan. 2026
The 23-year-old has some of the most technical and advanced tricks in slopestyle, making headlines in April 2025 for landing the world’s first switch backside quad 1620 at at Switzerland’s Swatch Nines.
—Michelle Bruton, Forbes.com, 19 Jan. 2026
Below, Jacqueline Stein, a professional cleaner and the owner of Home Reimagined in Austin, Texas, shares the right way to use baking soda on your couch, along with a few tricks to keep it fresher, longer.
—Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 18 Jan. 2026
Sennecke deepens his bag of tricks seemingly every match.
—Andrew Knoll, Oc Register, 18 Jan. 2026
Ahead, their tips and tricks for removing snow easily and safely.
—Michelle Mastro, The Spruce, 17 Jan. 2026
In those situations, malware does not need advanced tricks.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 17 Jan. 2026
Make every day feel like a vacation with these tips and tricks.
—Shagun Khare, Martha Stewart, 16 Jan. 2026
Beth Botts, Chicago Tribune, 4 Jan. 2026
This tricks incoming missiles into targeting the decoy instead of the actual jet.
—Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 30 Dec. 2025
The dark color of the dress also tricks the eye into seeing a longer, cleaner look.
—Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Nov. 2025
Mulching too early traps heat and tricks plant roots to remain active and produce new growth.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 8 Nov. 2025
An unexpected, shocking tax bill owed after a scammer tricks you into draining a retirement fund to hand over your money to them.
—Susan Tompor, Freep.com, 30 Oct. 2025
Mykal-Michelle Harris from Raven’s Home guest-stars as Ruby, a mischievous moon imp who tricks Vee.
—Allison McClain Merrill, Parents, 27 Oct. 2025
Still, nothing tricks us into the spirit of autumn quite like scent.
—Raquel Reichard, Refinery29, 1 Oct. 2025
The interference has included both jamming—overpowering communications with strong radio signals—and spoofing, which tricks receivers into misreading their location or even the time.
—Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Sep. 2025
Noun
Prevent a mess of plastic bags under the sink by using these expert organizing tricks.
—Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 Jan. 2026
Tommy engages the audience in all of his tricks and shows kids how much fun reading can be.
—Travis Pinson, Dallas Morning News, 19 Jan. 2026
The 23-year-old has some of the most technical and advanced tricks in slopestyle, making headlines in April 2025 for landing the world’s first switch backside quad 1620 at at Switzerland’s Swatch Nines.
—Michelle Bruton, Forbes.com, 19 Jan. 2026
Below, Jacqueline Stein, a professional cleaner and the owner of Home Reimagined in Austin, Texas, shares the right way to use baking soda on your couch, along with a few tricks to keep it fresher, longer.
—Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 18 Jan. 2026
Sennecke deepens his bag of tricks seemingly every match.
—Andrew Knoll, Oc Register, 18 Jan. 2026
Ahead, their tips and tricks for removing snow easily and safely.
—Michelle Mastro, The Spruce, 17 Jan. 2026
In those situations, malware does not need advanced tricks.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 17 Jan. 2026
Make every day feel like a vacation with these tips and tricks.
—Shagun Khare, Martha Stewart, 16 Jan. 2026
Verb
One of the dangers of the Midwestern climate is a late-winter warm spell that thaws the soil and tricks bulbs and other plants into sprouting too early.
—Beth Botts, Chicago Tribune, 4 Jan. 2026
This tricks incoming missiles into targeting the decoy instead of the actual jet.
—Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 30 Dec. 2025
The dark color of the dress also tricks the eye into seeing a longer, cleaner look.
—Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Nov. 2025
Mulching too early traps heat and tricks plant roots to remain active and produce new growth.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 8 Nov. 2025
An unexpected, shocking tax bill owed after a scammer tricks you into draining a retirement fund to hand over your money to them.
—Susan Tompor, Freep.com, 30 Oct. 2025
Mykal-Michelle Harris from Raven’s Home guest-stars as Ruby, a mischievous moon imp who tricks Vee.
—Allison McClain Merrill, Parents, 27 Oct. 2025
Still, nothing tricks us into the spirit of autumn quite like scent.
—Raquel Reichard, Refinery29, 1 Oct. 2025
The interference has included both jamming—overpowering communications with strong radio signals—and spoofing, which tricks receivers into misreading their location or even the time.
—Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tricks
Noun
-
The New York Colored American reported that some offers of short-term work for Black men — moving livestock to or from Kentucky, for example — were ruses that ended with kidnappings.—
Equal Justice Initiative,
USA Today,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Many suspect a spam call and don't pick up the phone, leading foundation staff to sometimes devise ruses.—
Kelly Meyerhofer,
jsonline.com,
8 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Teens can move from online pranks to serious federal crimes without realizing where the legal line lies.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
13 Jan. 2026
-
Rose also likes pulling lighthearted pranks to make others laugh.—
The Star,
Kansas City Star,
10 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
All of these little rituals, Chen says, give you a chance to process tension as a team while preventing lingering family stress from driving a wedge between you and your partner.—
Jenna Ryu,
SELF,
20 Jan. 2026
-
Signature rituals—from deeply hydrating treatments to advanced Innerskin facials—blend scientific precision with sensory indulgence.—
Amy Louise Bailey,
Travel + Leisure,
19 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Yet, Thursday, from his sideline perch in Pasadena, Saban watched Cignetti's team hand Alabama, 38-3, its most lopsided postseason loss in school history to continue one of the most remarkable coaching feats in college football history.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
2 Jan. 2026
-
This ridiculous man, who seems to value nothing besides flattery and personal enrichment, has achieved in mere months feats of which the conservative movement has dreamed for a lifetime.—
Rosa Lyster,
Harpers Magazine,
30 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
The character traits of Matt and Davis are in many ways the opposites of the characters in their favorite novels (Matt is a Henry Miller devotee and Davis loves Raymond Carver).—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 Jan. 2026
-
White would bring many of the same traits as an explosive scorer who can get paint touches and is also very comfortable firing from 3.—
Sam Vecenie,
New York Times,
13 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Travel safer and smarter in 2026 by stocking up on these 15 best personal safety devices for hotel rooms, Airbnbs, and even your own home.—
Jillian Dara,
Travel + Leisure,
16 Jan. 2026
-
Some brands, like Déesse, share before-and-after imagery of people who’ve used their devices consistently over weeks or months.—
Brennan Kilbane,
Allure,
15 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The actress has opened up about how her own experiences as a mom of two helped her better step into the difficult role.—
Catherine Santino,
PEOPLE,
12 Jan. 2026
-
The fawner, scarred by past experiences of rejection, courts not just individuals but people in the aggregate—a monolithic other, dangling validation like a carrot.—
Katy Waldman,
New Yorker,
12 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
As their growth patterns shift, so should our watering habits.—
Alexandra Jones,
The Spruce,
21 Jan. 2026
-
Primerica asked survey participants if recent economic uncertainty has prompted them to embrace better financial habits – cutting non-essential spending, for example, or paying down debt.—
Mark Davis,
USA Today,
20 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tricks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tricks. Accessed 23 Jan. 2026.
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