1
as in cheat
a dishonest person who uses clever means to cheat others out of something of value
a heartless trickster swindled the elderly woman out of her life savings
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in magician
one who practices tricks and illusions for entertainment
a very adept trickster who used mirrors to make huge items—even buildings—seem to disappear
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 trickster
That group includes on-loan trickster Alexis Manyoma, U-22 Ted Ku-DiPietro and Dante Sealy, whose reported $2 million General Allocation Money signing is yet to be made official.
—
Braidon Nourse, Denver Post, 23 Dec. 2025
Loki, the trickster, exploits this unusual weakness by using an arrow made of mistletoe to kill Baldur.
—Scott Neuman, NPR, 17 Dec. 2025
Moving around and between the Sizes is the mysterious Elegba (Malcolm Mays), whose influence over Oshoosi seems both dangerous and loving; in the play’s trickster paradigm, these are the same thing.
—Helen Shaw, New Yorker, 14 Dec. 2025
While mild-mannered, Vince Staples is a trickster at his core.
—Jesse David Fox, Vulture, 13 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for trickster
Braidon Nourse, Denver Post, 23 Dec. 2025
Loki, the trickster, exploits this unusual weakness by using an arrow made of mistletoe to kill Baldur.
—Scott Neuman, NPR, 17 Dec. 2025
Moving around and between the Sizes is the mysterious Elegba (Malcolm Mays), whose influence over Oshoosi seems both dangerous and loving; in the play’s trickster paradigm, these are the same thing.
—Helen Shaw, New Yorker, 14 Dec. 2025
While mild-mannered, Vince Staples is a trickster at his core.
—Jesse David Fox, Vulture, 13 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for trickster
Recent Examples of Synonyms for trickster
Noun
-
Tovar has his warts, but Coors Field remains a cheat code that will continue to pad his stats.—
Dalton Del Don,
New York Times,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Iran lies, cheats, blusters and bullies.—
Chris Roemer,
Baltimore Sun,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Meanwhile, downtown, the great solo Chicago magician Dennis Watkins is continuing to operate his intimate basement Loop venue, The Magic Parlour.—
Chris Jones,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Musicians, face painters, magicians, caricature artists, and aerial acrobats show off their creativity and entertain the masses.—
Lydia Mansel,
Travel + Leisure,
4 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Almost all other passengers dine at the Britannia Restaurant, and there’s also a buffet restaurant serving international cuisine, with options for vegans, vegetarians and dairy dodgers.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
16 Jan. 2026
-
But my collection intentionally ignored the fraudulent exploits of billionaire heirs, tax dodgers and corporate magnates — defense contracts, government lobbying, bank accounts in Switzerland, shell companies in Panama, citizenship of Antigua and political asylum in London.—
Snigdha Poonam,
The Dial,
28 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Now the piano has something to play against, slinking, leaping, whipping, and swiveling like an agitated shark in a tank of impassive harmonies.—
Justin Davidson,
Vulture,
3 Mar. 2026
-
The Hopewell had an expansive trade network, indicated by archaeological artifacts made from Great Lakes copper, Rocky Mountain obsidian, shells and pearls from the Gulf of Mexico, Appalachian mica, and shark teeth from the Chesapeake Bay.—
Michael Plummer,
Des Moines Register,
1 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Trickster.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/trickster. Accessed 9 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
