Synonyms of feint

feint 1 of 2

noun

as in bluff

sports a quick movement that you make to trick an opponent

The boxer made a feint with his right, then followed with a left hook.

Synonyms & Similar Words

• bluff
• maneuver
• trick
• knack
• play
• device
• dodge
• gambit
• stratagem
• cheating
• jig
• fetch
• ruse
• scheme
• subterfuge
• ploy
• end run
• deception
• sleight
• gimmick
• wile
• trickery
• skullduggery
• duplicity
• artifice
• cunning
• chicanery
• blind
• flimflam
• skulduggery
• contrivance
• fakery
• jugglery
• swindling
• juggle
• shenanigan
• legerdemain
• front
• smoke screen
• cozenage
• dupery
• crookery
• craft

feint

2 of 2

verb

as in to bluff

Synonyms & Similar Words

• bluff
• disguise
• conceal
• camouflage
• mask
• feign
• simulate
• affect
• sham
• counterfeit
• fake
• masquerade
• pose
• put on
• assume
• profess
• pretend
• impersonate
• act
• playact
• dissemble
• let on
• play
• dissimulate
• make out

Synonym Chooser

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

Some common synonyms of feint are artifice, maneuver, ruse, stratagem, trick, and wile. While all these words mean "an indirect means to gain an end," 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 artifice take the place of feint?

The meanings of artifice and feint largely overlap; however, artifice implies ingenious contrivance or invention.

the clever artifices of the stage

When might maneuver be a better fit than feint?

While the synonyms maneuver and feint are close in meaning, maneuver suggests adroit and skillful avoidance of difficulty.

last-minute maneuvers to avert bankruptcy

When could ruse be used to replace feint?

The words ruse and feint are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, ruse stresses an attempt to mislead by a false impression.

the ruses of smugglers

When is it sensible to use stratagem instead of feint?

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

the stratagem-filled game

When can trick be used instead of feint?

The words trick and feint can be used in similar contexts, but trick may imply deception, roguishness, illusion, and either an evil or harmless end.

the tricks of the trade

Where would wile be a reasonable alternative to feint?

The synonyms wile and feint are sometimes interchangeable, but wile suggests an attempt to entrap or deceive with false allurements.

used all of his wiles to ingratiate himself

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of feint

Noun

Skeptics have pointed out that Kim includes in his speech every year some kind of friendly feint toward the South. —John Delury, Foreign Affairs, 7 Jan. 2018

Their books’ fantasies of martyrdom and religious metaphysics are a feint so as not to recognize the need for socialism at home and abroad, and to obscure American stupidity. —Mark Greif, Harper's Magazine, 26 July 2024

Verb

Lewis-Skelly duly sauntered into the City box, feinted his way onto his wrong foot, and clipped in a beauty. —Amy Lawrence, The Athletic, 3 Feb. 2025

At the 10-yard mark, Johnston stutter-stepped, feinting a break on the route. —Daniel Popper, The Athletic, 18 Aug. 2024