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
An astonishing, loopy and very true World War II story about Great Britain tricking Germany into believing false invasion plans has been the source material for non-fiction books and movies dramas. —Frank Rizzo, Variety, 21 Mar. 2025 And now Cato Networks has gone even further, tricking ChatGPT, Copilot and DeepSeek into developing infostealing malware. —Zak Doffman, Forbes, 21 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
  • In 2025, that emotional fast food ritual is back, this time pixelated and playfully spicy.
    — Stephanie Gravalese, Forbes.com, 3 Apr. 2025
  • Your coffee ritual deserves more than a cluttered corner of the kitchen counter.
    — Bailey Berg, Architectural Digest, 2 Apr. 2025
Definition of ritual
Noun
  • The most interesting thing about the Netflix series Adolescence isn’t the great acting, the technological feats of filming, or the surreal perfection of 15-year-old actor Owen Cooper.
    — Avivah Wittenberg-Cox, Forbes.com, 5 Apr. 2025
  • But the groundbreaking Sphere, with an exosphere broadcasting continuous imagery ranging from eyeballs to ugly Christmas sweaters to signature emoji mascot Orbi, is maximizing its technological abilities with not only live music, but filmed feats as well.
    — Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 4 Apr. 2025
Definition of feat
Noun
  • 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
  • In an era of constant change, global complexity and ever-rising expectations, trust has become the defining trait of exceptional leadership.
    — Alejandro Bravo, Forbes.com, 9 Apr. 2025
Definition of trait
Verb
  • There is evidence of motivated malicious actors abusing the 'verified account' to deceive users.
    — Jon Brodkin, ArsTechnica, 4 Apr. 2025
  • More than a dozen state attorneys general also have sued TikTok, alleging last year that the company deceived users about its child safety tools and deployed harmful features to keep children on the platform longer to maximize profits.
    — Bloomberg, Mercury News, 4 Apr. 2025
Definition of deceive
Adjective
  • Maintaining authenticity is tricky when consumers are highly skeptical of marketing claims.
    — Max Avery, Forbes.com, 31 Mar. 2025
  • As for the arms backing up Vásquez in the bullpen, that’s a bit trickier as Robert Suarez, Jason Adam and Jeremiah Estrada have all thrown in the first two games.
    — Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Mar. 2025
Definition of tricky
Noun
  • Detectives arrested a man accused in a lottery ticket stealing scheme that netted him and a partner thousands of dollars in winnings, according to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office.
    — David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 7 Apr. 2025
  • The scheme is further complicated because Tom Buchanan is cheating on Daisy.
    — Ron Grossman, Chicago Tribune, 6 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 15 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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