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

Lennox and Kember are so good at playing these meta-textual tricks. — Sadie Sartini Garner, Pitchfork, 14 July 2026 To that point, experts in neuroscience and AI think that the difficulty of old dogs learning new tricks is significantly underappreciated. — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 14 July 2026 Pretty Pink One of Guarnaschelli’s favorite tricks for choosing a ceiling paint is to look to the walls. — Heather Bien, Southern Living, 14 July 2026 Using his Willy Wonka chest of culinary tricks, Guichon has created a whole foosball table, dragons, motorcycles and life-sized animals crafted entirely from chocolate, among other stunning builds. — Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 13 July 2026 Keep reading for some of our favorite jelly shoes of the season, with tips and tricks on how to pull them off. — Michel Mejía, Glamour, 10 July 2026 Ahead, discover their best advice for making your makeup stay put, from strategic layering techniques to inevitable touch-up tricks that can help keep everything unwavering from morning to night. — Marci Robin, Allure, 10 July 2026 Zipline from a 12-story tower and soar 1,121 feet from Las Vegas Boulevard or watch jaw-dropping tricks performed by Chris Angel. — Paris Wilson, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 July 2026 Here, two interior design experts share their go-to tricks for elevating your bathroom without overspending. — Marisa Suzanne Martin, The Spruce, 8 July 2026

Verb

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 San Diego startup Neomorph on Monday announced a new $100 million investment for its molecular glue that tricks cancer cells into self-destructing. — Noelle Harff, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Apr. 2026 During the final moments of the finale, Jimmy is seen sitting down for breakfast with Sofi after Paul (Harrison Ford) tricks him into meeting one last time. — Stacy Lambe, PEOPLE, 8 Apr. 2026 The Pitt sometimes tricks us about a character by giving us one perspective on them for a long time before revealing something totally different. — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 27 Mar. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for tricks

Noun

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
Such offenders will use all different ruses to distract the victim, such as claiming to be utility workers, tree trimmers, or handymen working on neighbors' houses.

— Adam Harrington, CBS News, 30 June 2026

Definition of ruses

Noun

Police used the incident to warn the public that pranks involving Orbeez guns, airsoft guns, or other toy firearms can provoke dangerous reactions and lead to criminal charges.

— Ana Maria Soler, CBS News, 26 June 2026
In the special, Arcuri tackles topics like marital pranks and urinal mind games while contending, on the more serious side, with his wife Katie Thurston’s cancer journey.

— Matt Grobar, Deadline, 24 June 2026

Definition of pranks

Noun

These are objects of belonging that signal specific cultural moments, rituals and aesthetics, and many young people today are starting to experience them for the first time.

— Rotem Rozental, Fortune, 14 July 2026
That means obvious things, like medication, feeding, and potty breaks, but also details like favorite toys, spots to be scratched, and other small rituals your pet looks forward to every day.

— Kelli Bender, PEOPLE, 13 July 2026

Definition of rituals

Noun

This is why the fastest returns in tennis are not simply feats of lightning-fast reflexes.

— Michelle Spear, Scientific American, 11 July 2026
The Different Messages Women Receive About Risk One of the most striking things about these feats is that, even today, their gender feels relevant to their stories.

— Kim Elsesser, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026

Definition of feats

Noun

Grab bars — rails attached to walls, particularly in bathrooms — help provide balance and prevent falls, preventing serious injuries, said Jim Christian, founder of the effort to push Medicare to cover the devices, Safety Bars for America.

— Panashe Matemba-Mutasa, Mercury News, 13 July 2026
Both the Russian and Chinese governments have been compromising routers for years, sometimes in prolonged tugs-of-war to wrest control of devices the other has already commandeered.

— Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 13 July 2026

Definition of devices

Noun

His reporting focuses on luxury travel and culture-forward experiences that explore how place, identity, and hospitality intersect.

— Rafael Peña, Miami Herald, 15 July 2026
Human costs of a ‘fix-it’ medical approach Research shows that the healthcare system’s emphasis on the length – not quality – of life introduces preventable suffering into American experiences of death.

— Jane Callahan, The Conversation, 14 July 2026