TRICK Synonyms: 356 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

trick 1 of 3

noun

ˈtrik

Definition of trick

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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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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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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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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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

trick

3 of 3

adjective

as in tricky

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

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

And while other robot pets have come and gone, AI data science company Hugging Face says that their Microduck is capable of learning new tricks. — Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 27 Aug. 2026 Additionally, there isn’t much research yet on the ingreident for eyebrows specifically—so only consider this an option if other serums haven’t done the trick. — Iman Balagam, Vogue, 27 Aug. 2026

Verb

In September 2025, a judge dismissed the lawsuit, noting that consumers could still enjoy the treats even if they felt tricked by the wrappers. — Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026 Short crown layers build lift and help create volume, which tricks the eye into seeing more density overall, and face-framing pieces create visual fullness around the face. — Marci Robin, Allure, 11 Aug. 2026

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

Noun

There’s a fun bit when Green pulls her badge to walk Reacher out through the police cordon, pretending to have placed him under arrest, but the ruse doesn’t last long.

— Chris Klimek, Vulture, 26 Aug. 2026
Patterson was accused of pretending to eat the same portion, and of feigning illness in an elaborate ruse to suggest she’d also been poisoned.

— Hilary Whiteman, CNN Money, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of ruse

Noun

Jons, as demonstrated by her number of followers, has enjoyed success through her prank videos, and has also appeared on TV and attended various fashion shows.

— Chris Marshall-Bell, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
This has led to fans of the show to ruminate on how the team will set up another elaborate prank.

— Peter White, Deadline, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of prank

Noun

This goes beyond just topical products to include massage tools, wellness rituals and detoxifying treatments.

— Bella Webb, Vogue, 28 Aug. 2026
Shankara advises that worshipping gods with names and stories through devotional rituals and sacred images (murtis) is an acceptable step for some people on the path toward a more philosophical understanding of an all-pervasive ultimate reality.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of ritual

Noun

Why would Chinese companies invest so much money and time into creating robots that perform such athletic feats (and crash and burn afterwards)?

— Sarah Shephard, New York Times, 1 Sep. 2026
Cook pushed the company to diversify some production away from China while still appealing to Chinese consumers and leadership, which Munster said is a rare feat.

— Lisa Eadicicco, CNN Money, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of feat

Noun

This suggests an inherent bias from the LLM's Reinforcement Learning with Human Feedback (RLHF) training, where human input inadvertently promotes traits like curiosity.

— Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
Craig was extremely productive at Harvard and has NFL-caliber traits with his size, mobility and throw power.

— Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of trait

Adjective

But figuring out how to implement generative AI is a trickier task for the Times in particular, a news institution that is obsessed with accuracy and attention to detail.

— Max Tani, semafor.com, 23 Aug. 2026
There are steps everywhere, apart from the restaurant, and access on and off the boats can be a bit tricky.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Aug. 2026

Definition of tricky

Noun

McNeal added that his second year in the offense has given him more confidence in the scheme and motivated him to get stronger to contribute in the run game.

— Alejandro Hernandez, Miami Herald, 28 Aug. 2026
While Simmons’ offensive scheme helped unlock FIU’s ground game last season, quarterbacks Keyone Jenkins and Joe Pesansky combined for 13 interceptions.

— Alejandro Hernandez, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of scheme

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trichromatic

trick

tricked

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“Trick.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/trick. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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