trick 1 of 3

noun

ˈtrik How to pronounce trick (audio)
Definition of tricknext
1
as in ruse
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 prank
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

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3
as in ritual
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 feat
an act of notable skill, strength, or cleverness it'd be quite a trick to hit that target from here

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5
as in trait
an odd or peculiar habit a dog with the trick of eating cabbage

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

trick

2 of 3

verb

as in to deceive
to cause to believe what is untrue you tricked me into thinking my ex wasn't coming to the party tonight

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

trick

3 of 3

adjective

as in tricky

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word trick different from other nouns like it?

Some common synonyms of trick are artifice, feint, maneuver, ruse, stratagem, and wile. While all these words mean "an indirect means to gain an end," trick may imply deception, roguishness, illusion, and either an evil or harmless end.

the tricks of the trade

When could artifice be used to replace trick?

Although the words artifice and trick have much in common, artifice implies ingenious contrivance or invention.

the clever artifices of the stage

When would feint be a good substitute for trick?

The words feint and trick can be used in similar contexts, but feint implies a diversion or distraction of attention away from one's real intent.

a feint toward the enemy's left flank

In what contexts can maneuver take the place of trick?

While in some cases nearly identical to trick, maneuver suggests adroit and skillful avoidance of difficulty.

last-minute maneuvers to avert bankruptcy

When can ruse be used instead of trick?

While the synonyms ruse and trick are close in meaning, ruse stresses an attempt to mislead by a false impression.

the ruses of smugglers

When is it sensible to use stratagem instead of trick?

In some situations, the words stratagem and trick are roughly equivalent. However, stratagem implies a ruse used to entrap, outwit, circumvent, or surprise an opponent or enemy.

the stratagem-filled game

When is wile a more appropriate choice than trick?

The meanings of wile and trick largely overlap; however, wile suggests an attempt to entrap or deceive with false allurements.

used all of his wiles to ingratiate himself

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 trick
Noun
But back to the task at hand: One trick to schooling yourself while keeping things fun is taking a tour — or a few of them. —Heidi Finley, Charlotte Observer, 8 Apr. 2025 If not, there will be a new game released tomorrow with another chance to guess the categories, and Newsweek will be back with more tips and tricks to help you along! —Ron Estes, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2025
Verb
The Big Cat turned the tables on all those trolls for April Fool's Day and tricked plenty of them. —Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Apr. 2025 For example, Russian operatives reportedly tricked Ukrainian troops into giving access to their Signal accounts. —Frederick Scholl, The Conversation, 27 Mar. 2025
Adjective
As Halloween approaches, investors seem fearful that good credit performance may be more trick than treat. —Telis Demos, WSJ, 21 Oct. 2022 If the high cost of it all is more trick than treat for you, here are several ways to turn your already smart home into a spook-tacularly genius haunted house. —Jennifer Jolly, USA TODAY, 28 Oct. 2021 See All Example Sentences for trick
Recent Examples of Synonyms for trick
  1. ruse
  2. prank
  3. ritual
  4. feat
  5. trait
  6. deceive
  7. tricky
  8. scheme
Noun
  • Frank This character doing all the heavy lifting to keep Rick’s ruse afloat and Sam Rockwell doing all the heavy lifting to keep this plot interesting: Thank you for your service, gentlemen.
    — Jessica M. Goldstein, Vulture, 31 Mar. 2025
  • This is, of course, a ruse to put Rick in the same room with Jim, who, according to his mother on her deathbed, killed his do-gooder dad.
    — Judy Berman, Time, 31 Mar. 2025
Definition of ruse
Noun
  • Joe Berton, the man whom Sports Illustrated photographed to depict a fictional Mets mega-prospect in an instant-classic April Fools Day story, visited Citi Field on Tuesday in recognition of the prank’s 40th anniversary.
    — Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 8 Apr. 2025
  • Manager Emma Hayes was, at least in the moment, less impressed with the prank.
    — Jamie Barton, CNN Money, 6 Apr. 2025
Definition of prank
Noun
  • From home births to birth centers, spiritual rituals to structural advocacy, their choices aren’t just personal, but collective.
    — Stephanie Long, Essence, 17 Apr. 2025
  • According to a new WalletHub survey, many consumers are planning to skip some of the holiday's traditional rituals like dyeing eggs because of high prices.
    — Matt Robison, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Apr. 2025
Definition of ritual
Noun
  • In 2023, his second full season in the major leagues, Atlanta Braves pitcher Spencer Strider accomplished an increasingly rare feat.
    — Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Apr. 2025
  • Lenses that open up to apertures wider than f/1.4 are rare, and making one that's optically sound, well-constructed, and fast-focusing is a feat.
    — PC Magazine, PC Magazine, 16 Apr. 2025
Definition of feat
Noun
  • Scientists create these animals by engineering DNA that matches important traits of the extinct animal into a modern animal's DNA sequence.
    — Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 9 Apr. 2025
  • Experts debated the connection, but by 2001 paleontologists uncovered early whale ankle bones that possessed traits only seen among artiodactyls.
    — Riley Black, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 Apr. 2025
Definition of trait
Verb
  • But as, as the brilliant evolutionary psychologist Geoffrey Miller notes, our capacities to judge competence have evolved, so too have our capacities to deceive others about it.
    — Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, Forbes.com, 15 Apr. 2025
  • And Ken claims to be a man of faith but uses fake Uber accounts to meet his girlfriend and deceive his family.
    — Raja Krishnamoorthi, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Apr. 2025
Definition of deceive
Adjective
  • Figuring out how to remove a tree stump can be tricky, depending on your situation.
    — Daniel Scott, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 Apr. 2025
  • Deciding who to bring with you as your date to a wedding can be tricky.
    — Raja Krishnamoorthi, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Apr. 2025
Definition of tricky
Noun
  • Nearly 30 years ago California legislators faced a test of their integrity in voting for an electricity deregulation scheme that ratepayers are still paying for.
    — Jamie Court, Mercury News, 19 Apr. 2025
  • And perhaps the most frustrating and ironic aspect about these potential cuts is that in the scheme of the U.S. government’s overall budget, Mars gets much more of the planetary science budget than Venus.
    — Bruce Dorminey, Forbes.com, 18 Apr. 2025
Definition of scheme

Phrases Containing trick

Browse Nearby Words

trichromatic
trick
tricked
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Cite this Entry

“Trick.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/trick. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.

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More from Merriam-Webster on trick

Nglish: Translation of trick for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about trick

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