1
as in ruse
a clever often underhanded means to achieve an end
used the artifice of saying his grandmother had died so that he could get the last seat on the plane
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2
as in cunning
skill in achieving one's ends through indirect, subtle, or underhanded means
using their artifice, the Greeks crafted a hollow wooden horse to hide inside and thereby gained entry into the city of Troy
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3
as in skill
subtle or imaginative ability in inventing, devising, or executing something
a painting that could only have been created with the artifice of a master
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4
as in deception
the inclination or practice of misleading others through lies or trickery
a crook who is a master of artifice and manipulation
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5
as in treachery
the use of clever underhanded actions to achieve an end
he's willing to resort to artifice to get himself out of this jam
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of artifice
Instead, the Buttholes embraced artifice.
—
Pat Blashill, Rolling Stone, 28 Aug. 2025
In May, a grand jury indicted her on seven felony counts: one count of fraudulent schemes and artifices, one count of forgery, four counts of perjury and one count of tampering with physical evidence.
—Miguel Torres, AZCentral.com, 27 Aug. 2025
For brands, the trend has become an opportunity to market products that speak to the Performative Male; which, in turn, only saturates the dating pool with more artifice that is a turn-off for women.
—Brett F. Braley-Palko, Forbes.com, 25 Aug. 2025
The use of vocoder fosters a discourse on performance, artifice, and camp.
—Angelica Frey, JSTOR Daily, 9 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for artifice
Pat Blashill, Rolling Stone, 28 Aug. 2025
In May, a grand jury indicted her on seven felony counts: one count of fraudulent schemes and artifices, one count of forgery, four counts of perjury and one count of tampering with physical evidence.
—Miguel Torres, AZCentral.com, 27 Aug. 2025
For brands, the trend has become an opportunity to market products that speak to the Performative Male; which, in turn, only saturates the dating pool with more artifice that is a turn-off for women.
—Brett F. Braley-Palko, Forbes.com, 25 Aug. 2025
The use of vocoder fosters a discourse on performance, artifice, and camp.
—Angelica Frey, JSTOR Daily, 9 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for artifice
Recent Examples of Synonyms for artifice
Noun
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Police said McGriff employed the ruse to access the couple's Queens residence and then set it ablaze.—
Joshua Rhett Miller,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Sep. 2025
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McGriff allegedly tried the ruse at a nearby house first but was turned away, Tisch said.—
Mark Morales,
CNN Money,
9 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Despite being outnumbered 50-to-1 by the Five Families of the Italian mafia, The Westies’ legendary brutality and cunning have given them the leverage necessary to share the spoils through a fragile détente.—
Denise Petski,
Deadline,
9 Sep. 2025
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Luke Shaw’s technique and cunning at centre-back deserved to be better rewarded.—
Laurie Whitwell,
New York Times,
18 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Both injuries have significant implications for fantasy, as Jacory Croskey-Merritt is assured more touches in Washington moving forward; in Green Bay, Matthew Golden will have more chances to show his skills with Reed out in Week 3 and beyond.—
Jess Bryant,
New York Times,
14 Sep. 2025
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Now, a rapidly changing world has little patience for those whose skills don’t swiftly evolve or adapt.—
Dr. Jonathan Reichental,
Forbes.com,
14 Sep. 2025
Noun
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But there’s some deception at play.—
Vann R. Newkirk II,
The Atlantic,
16 Sep. 2025
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Stories of similar scenes are sweeping Puerto Rico—raids without court orders, marked by deception and racial profiling, often regardless of legal status.—
Israel Melendez Ayala,
Time,
16 Sep. 2025
Noun
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When does compromise become treachery or defeat?—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Sep. 2025
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Could Juno be behind this treachery, as payback for David destroying her spy corporation and for changing his oldest daughter into a killer?—
Demetrius Patterson,
HollywoodReporter,
27 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Roberts and Robinson, who federal prosecutors say conducted the scheme over the course of five years, between 2018 and 2023, allegedly stole $900,000 from the court system.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
13 Sep. 2025
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Just look at the offense — more weapons, better scheme, more support.—
Dianna Russini,
New York Times,
13 Sep. 2025
Noun
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There is a real seriousness to the score — the scheming bad-guy music has the artfulness of Prokofiev, and even the sneaking-around cues have musical integrity and structure.—
Tim Greiving,
Vulture,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Many of the women who spoke Monday addressed that claim directly, saying they were tricked and coerced from the start and that the deceit went far beyond one lie about where the video would be distributed.—
Alex Riggins,
Mercury News,
9 Sep. 2025
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The rest of the book is autobiographical, a love story between two writers, but also, a tale of deceit.—
Sarah Adler
September 8,
Literary Hub,
8 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Artifice.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/artifice. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
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