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
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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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of tricks
Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 8 Nov. 2025
Cheo was a jokester and would play tricks on her, like pretending to be asleep, to lighten the mood.
—Kevin G. Hall, Miami Herald, 7 Nov. 2025
These criminals no longer rely on basic phone tricks.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 6 Nov. 2025
The next evolution of creative culture isn’t faster turnaround or cooler AI tricks.
—Rochelle Ratkaj, Rolling Stone, 4 Nov. 2025
Here’s a look at how robots brought the tricks, treats, and a little bit of terror to 2025’s most spirited night.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 3 Nov. 2025
Jonze and Trier learned how to capture fluid moments on camera by making videos of their friends doing tricks.
—Margaret Talbot, New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2025
Tame Impala pulled a few tricks—and fan-favorite treats—out of the vault on Halloween night in Brooklyn.
—Jessica Lynch, Billboard, 2 Nov. 2025
Wishing you a weekend of tricks and treats.
—Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 31 Oct. 2025
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
Seeing empty floor tricks the brain into thinking there is more space than there is.
—Abby Wolner, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 Oct. 2025
In one common attack, known as GPS spoofing, hackers transmit false location data that tricks a drone into flying off course.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 7 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
Although they are born fairly helpless, infants have a few survival tricks up their swaddles.
—Elissa Strauss, The Atlantic, 28 Aug. 2025
Noun
Cherki is visibly excited by his spectators, eager to show off his tricks, until a coach comes into frame on the YouTube video and tells them their fun is over.
—Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 8 Nov. 2025
Cheo was a jokester and would play tricks on her, like pretending to be asleep, to lighten the mood.
—Kevin G. Hall, Miami Herald, 7 Nov. 2025
These criminals no longer rely on basic phone tricks.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 6 Nov. 2025
The next evolution of creative culture isn’t faster turnaround or cooler AI tricks.
—Rochelle Ratkaj, Rolling Stone, 4 Nov. 2025
Here’s a look at how robots brought the tricks, treats, and a little bit of terror to 2025’s most spirited night.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 3 Nov. 2025
Jonze and Trier learned how to capture fluid moments on camera by making videos of their friends doing tricks.
—Margaret Talbot, New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2025
Tame Impala pulled a few tricks—and fan-favorite treats—out of the vault on Halloween night in Brooklyn.
—Jessica Lynch, Billboard, 2 Nov. 2025
Wishing you a weekend of tricks and treats.
—Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 31 Oct. 2025
Verb
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
Seeing empty floor tricks the brain into thinking there is more space than there is.
—Abby Wolner, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 Oct. 2025
In one common attack, known as GPS spoofing, hackers transmit false location data that tricks a drone into flying off course.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 7 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
Although they are born fairly helpless, infants have a few survival tricks up their swaddles.
—Elissa Strauss, The Atlantic, 28 Aug. 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
-
Alumni hold debates and students from each school often pull pranks on the other.—
Paige Moore,
AZCentral.com,
6 Nov. 2025
-
The comedy horror film revolves around Brian (Tyler Perry) forbidding his daughter Tiffany (Diamond White) from attending a frat party, which sets off a string of Halloween pranks.—
Ariana Quihuiz,
PEOPLE,
30 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Living in Denver means the trails are never far away, and fall hiking has become one of my favorite seasonal rituals—crisp mornings, the scent of pine, and light that makes everything glow.—
Ariana Dickson,
Travel + Leisure,
6 Nov. 2025
-
The rituals were ancient, unchanged since Rustin had sat for his.—
George Packer,
The Atlantic,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Though Golden State didn’t go on to win the NBA Finals, Thompson’s performance was one of the greatest playoff feats of all-time, and arguably paved the way for Kevin Durant to switch sides in free agency.—
The Athletic NBA Staff,
New York Times,
11 Nov. 2025
-
Taking a documentary and translating it on the Broadway stage was always going to be an ambitious endeavor, and when creatives attempt such feats, they should be celebrated.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
10 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
The American Culture Quiz is a weekly test of our unique national traits, trends, history and people, including current events and the sights and sounds of the United States.—
Kelly McGreal , Khloe Quill,
FOXNews.com,
9 Nov. 2025
-
Yes, the actor inhabited some of Burt’s traits and flourishes, and his conservative style of lawyering came through.—
Sarah Weinman,
Rolling Stone,
9 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Since launching in 2012, Candy Crush Saga has remained one of the most popular games on mobile devices, accruing millions of daily players.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
6 Nov. 2025
-
On the hardware side over 10+ million devices have been built around a recovery phrase by default, entrenching a market expectation in which seed phrases are the go-to recovery method, even as some vendors add alternatives.—
Wyles Daniel,
USA Today,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Like most fiction, it’s made up of experiences, imagination, ideas, memories, emotions, speculation, knowledge and research.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Nov. 2025
-
But most of my energy is spent getting our family through the day and fighting for all of my kids to have equal access to life’s experiences.—
Jaclyn Greenberg,
CNN Money,
9 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
The company's annual survey reveals the most popular side dishes across the nation in 2025 for Thanksgiving dinner, along with standard and changing holiday habits.—
Jenna Prestininzi,
Freep.com,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Recognizing that pattern can help parents anticipate and take practical steps early, such as helping kids improve hygiene habits and planning for backup child care before illness strikes.—
Katia Hetter,
CNN Money,
6 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tricks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tricks. Accessed 15 Nov. 2025.
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