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
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Recent Examples of tricks
Bobby Allyn, NPR, 17 Feb. 2026
Coleman was known for her daring stunt tricks in the air.
—Adam Harrington, CBS News, 16 Feb. 2026
Slopestyle, whereby skiers perform a series of tricks over a course of rails and jumps, requires a sense of flow, and for that, McEachran often turns to some smooth Frank Ocean soul, or perhaps just some good old country.
—ABC News, 16 Feb. 2026
My mom is big on peace of mind while traveling, and Apple AirTags are one of her simplest but smartest tricks.
—Rosie Marder, Travel + Leisure, 16 Feb. 2026
The men took their tricks to new heights and put together combinations never seen before.
—New York Times, 14 Feb. 2026
Seven of the 12 finalists fell in their first run in snowy conditions, which made landing tricks more of a challenge.
—Sean Gregory, Time, 13 Feb. 2026
When later asked about the keys to forcing timing turnovers, Harmon said there are techniques and tricks of the trade that the Longhorns practice.
—Danny Davis, Austin American Statesman, 10 Feb. 2026
By the time Bea is ready to start her tricks, Chloe is already two or three runs deep into her bag.
—Los Angeles Times, 10 Feb. 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
In chats among Kalshi traders on the online forum Discord, some show their reluctance to reveal their trading tricks by misdirecting.
—Bobby Allyn, NPR, 17 Feb. 2026
Coleman was known for her daring stunt tricks in the air.
—Adam Harrington, CBS News, 16 Feb. 2026
Slopestyle, whereby skiers perform a series of tricks over a course of rails and jumps, requires a sense of flow, and for that, McEachran often turns to some smooth Frank Ocean soul, or perhaps just some good old country.
—ABC News, 16 Feb. 2026
My mom is big on peace of mind while traveling, and Apple AirTags are one of her simplest but smartest tricks.
—Rosie Marder, Travel + Leisure, 16 Feb. 2026
The men took their tricks to new heights and put together combinations never seen before.
—New York Times, 14 Feb. 2026
Seven of the 12 finalists fell in their first run in snowy conditions, which made landing tricks more of a challenge.
—Sean Gregory, Time, 13 Feb. 2026
When later asked about the keys to forcing timing turnovers, Harmon said there are techniques and tricks of the trade that the Longhorns practice.
—Danny Davis, Austin American Statesman, 10 Feb. 2026
By the time Bea is ready to start her tricks, Chloe is already two or three runs deep into her bag.
—Los Angeles Times, 10 Feb. 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
-
Originally from Strasbourg, near the German border, the French creator rose to fame on lip syncs and pranks, hopping from Instagram to YouTube to TikTok.—
Kenneal Patterson,
Vanity Fair,
19 Feb. 2026
-
Like anything, our pranks revolved around the zeitgeist of the time.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Weir had never been averse to alcohol; among his many lifestyle rituals was burning off a night of wine with an intense morning run the next day.—
David Browne,
Rolling Stone,
17 Feb. 2026
-
Others say that a balance can be struck and that, in moderation, such rituals are part of the month’s festive spirit.—
Mariam Fam,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The culinary feats are just part of the overall experience, though.—
Lydia Mansel,
Travel + Leisure,
16 Feb. 2026
-
The Centurions have nabbed the Foothill League title and a playoff win, feats that eluded the program for over five years.—
Justin Vigil Zuniga,
Daily News,
16 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
That fact, plus certain skeletal traits, led some scientists to hypothesize Spinosaurus was fully aquatic, an open-water swimmer and diving pursuit predator in a marine setting.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
20 Feb. 2026
-
That places them within the typical size range for a leaf-toed gecko, but the combination of physical traits — particularly prominent white spikes across a slender body frame — sets them apart visually.—
Ryan Brennan,
Charlotte Observer,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
What fools these non-OpenAI mortals must be.—
Jim Cramer,
CNBC,
15 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The researchers are hopeful that their work will help advance hydrovoltaic devices that can power battery-free devices using water, heat, and sunlight.—
Ameya Paleja,
Interesting Engineering,
20 Feb. 2026
-
According to Google, its Pixel 9 and later devices, other than Pixel 9a, also have a satellite feature to use in emergencies when no other signal is available.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
20 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Eating on the London Underground is usually frowned upon, but one of the city’s most unusual dining experiences lies at the northern end of the Victoria tube line inside a decommissioned train carriage.—
Maureen O'Hare,
CNN Money,
21 Feb. 2026
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These projects highlight the strength of our franchises and our ambition to expand Ubisoft stories across multiple platforms, giving fans and broader audiences amazing immersive experiences.—
Jennifer Maas,
Variety,
20 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tricks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tricks. Accessed 24 Feb. 2026.
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