sleight of hand

noun phrase

1
a
: a cleverly executed trick or deception
b
: a conjuring trick requiring manual dexterity
2
a
: skill and dexterity in conjuring tricks
b
: adroitness in deception

Examples of sleight of hand in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
This is the violent sleight of hand of the colonist, the oppressor. Christine Winter, Artforum, 1 Mar. 2025 There’s a nice sleight of hand here that glosses over how much the battery life is improved over the iPhone 16. Ewan Spence, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2025 Based on the Lee Child novels and developed by Nick Santora, Reacher is the kind of series that exemplifies the sleight of hand the TV medium does best, beguiling with one set of beckoning fingers while smuggling complex propaganda with the other. Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 20 Feb. 2025 Even that took some sleight of hand, involving buying up every ticket in a theatre in order to be able to make the claim that it was sold out. Patrick Frater, Variety, 22 Nov. 2024 See All Example Sentences for sleight of hand

Word History

First Known Use

1593, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of sleight of hand was in 1593

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Sleight of hand.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sleight%20of%20hand. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

sleight of hand

1
: skill especially in juggling or magic tricks
2
: a magic or juggling trick requiring skill with the hands
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