trick may imply deception, roguishness, illusion, and either an evil or harmless end.
the tricks of the trade
ruse stresses an attempt to mislead by a false impression.
the ruses of smugglers
stratagem implies a ruse used to entrap, outwit, circumvent, or surprise an opponent or enemy.
the stratagem-filled game
maneuver suggests adroit and skillful avoidance of difficulty.
last-minute maneuvers to avert bankruptcy
artifice implies ingenious contrivance or invention.
the clever artifices of the stage
wile suggests an attempt to entrap or deceive with false allurements.
used all of his wiles to ingratiate himself
feint implies a diversion or distraction of attention away from one's real intent.
a feint toward the enemy's left flank
Examples of ruse in a Sentence
His act was just a clever ruse to get me to go out with him.
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Richie buys Harry's ruse regarding Tommy's murder, but there's a catch.—Matt Cabral, EW.com, 20 Apr. 2025 The wedding started as an elaborate three-way ruse concocted by Wai-Tung, a gay Taiwanese American man; his white boyfriend, Simon (Mitchell Lichtenstein); and Wei-Wei, an undocumented Chinese immigrant.—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 19 Apr. 2025 In the immediate aftermath, McGee and LaRoche — having pulled off a successful ruse, complete with a bulletproof vest gifted to LaRoche by Vance — seemed to extend olive branches to one another.—Matt Webb Mitovich, TVLine, 14 Apr. 2025 The film follows two ambitious young men (played by Andrew McCarthy and Jonathan Silverman) who create a series of elaborate ruses over the course of a hectic weekend to prove that their sketchy boss (Terry Kiser) actually isn’t dead.—Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for ruse
Word History
Etymology
French, from Old French, roundabout path taken by fleeing game, trickery, from reuser
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