Synonym Chooser

How does the noun subterfuge differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of subterfuge are deception, double-dealing, fraud, and trickery. While all these words mean "the acts or practices of one who deliberately deceives," subterfuge suggests the adoption of a stratagem or the telling of a lie in order to escape guilt or to gain an end.

obtained the papers by subterfuge

When could deception be used to replace subterfuge?

Although the words deception and subterfuge have much in common, deception may or may not imply blameworthiness, since it may suggest cheating or merely tactical resource.

magicians are masters of deception

Where would double-dealing be a reasonable alternative to subterfuge?

The words double-dealing and subterfuge are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, double-dealing suggests treachery or at least action contrary to a professed attitude.

a go-between suspected of double-dealing

When can fraud be used instead of subterfuge?

In some situations, the words fraud and subterfuge are roughly equivalent. However, fraud always implies guilt and often criminality in act or practice.

indicted for fraud

When is trickery a more appropriate choice than subterfuge?

The words trickery and subterfuge can be used in similar contexts, but trickery implies ingenious acts intended to dupe or cheat.

resorted to trickery to gain their ends

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 subterfuge This is a subterfuge in an attempt to sidestep the elements of gambling. Daniel Wallach, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2024 There is a precedent for such scientific subterfuge. Henry A. Kissinger, Foreign Affairs, 18 Nov. 2024 In an era rife with conspiracy theories and subterfuge, how much of those forces are products of our own doing, perhaps our imagining? Dana Feldman, Forbes, 30 Dec. 2024 The story that follows includes intense political subterfuge, villainous monologues, and heart-wrenching character deaths. Courtney Mifsud Intreglia, TIME, 18 Sep. 2024 See All Example Sentences for subterfuge
Recent Examples of Synonyms for subterfuge
Noun
  • Trickery, obfuscation, and deception are common in local politics.
    Harvey Levine, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Mar. 2025
  • Tyler Perry’s latest thriller, Duplicity, hits theaters today, March 20, delivering a suspenseful story of deception, justice, and betrayal.
    Shelby Stewart, Essence, 20 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • His greatest dream, beside destroying Nato from within, is dividing the west and China - as a return favor for the treachery of Nixon’s demarche.
    Melik Kaylan, Forbes, 3 Mar. 2025
  • Witness was his 1952 manifesto on fellow-traveling American liberals and their treachery, which emboldened the Soviet Union.
    Michael Kimmage, Foreign Affairs, 25 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • They are rooted in mental and physical prowess, not digital trickery.
    Tony Bradley, Forbes, 22 Mar. 2025
  • Yet even as that’s happening, Patterson stages it all with an elliptical trickery that keeps the film knowingly off-balance.
    Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 11 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Jane was a devout Protestant at a time of religious upheaval, the ultimate innocent victim of the chicanery of the Tudor court in the chaotic aftermath of Henry VIII’s reign.
    Pan Pylas, Chicago Tribune, 9 Mar. 2025
  • The big picture: Opponents argue that moves like these give a green light for corporations to engage in all kinds of chicanery.
    Emily Peck, Axios, 5 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • The gamesmanship was high, with fan-favorites including Amanda Kimmel, James Clement, Courtney Yates and even former WWE wrestler Ashley Massaro.
    Skyler Trepel, People.com, 25 Feb. 2025
  • The legislation died, not because of its content but because of political gamesmanship.
    Joanie Schirm, Orlando Sentinel, 2 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • Obviously, such a system is rife with uncertainty, and the history of the process is full of skulduggery, both on the club and player side.
    Tony Blengino, Forbes, 13 Jan. 2025
  • Climax became the first ever vegan cheesemaker to win a prestigious Good Food award—though dairy complaints caused the prize to be rescinded at the last minute, with shades of the protectionist, legal skulduggery faced by non-dairy milk products.
    Andrew Rosenblum, Popular Science, 26 Dec. 2024
Noun
  • Her stories on Kansas secrecy and religion have been nationally recognized.
    Judy L. Thomas, Kansas City Star, 21 Mar. 2025
  • Can true intimacy exist without full disclosure, or is some level of secrecy necessary for survival?
    Mark Davis, Newsweek, 14 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Joey Merlo’s cunning, captivating On Set With Theda Bara first lit its murky lights at the Brick a year ago — and now, in a heartening example of institutional collaboration, the Transport Group and the Lucille Lortel Theatre have pitched in as presenters to bring it back for an encore performance.
    Sara Holdren, Vulture, 14 Feb. 2024
  • For Mirren, the cunning and cruelty of Whitfield is a timely example of power corrupting absolutely.
    Hunter Ingram, Variety, 23 Feb. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Subterfuge.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/subterfuge. Accessed 31 Mar. 2025.

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