Synonym Chooser

How does the noun trickery differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of trickery are deception, double-dealing, fraud, and subterfuge. While all these words mean "the acts or practices of one who deliberately deceives," trickery implies ingenious acts intended to dupe or cheat.

resorted to trickery to gain their ends

Where would deception be a reasonable alternative to trickery?

The meanings of deception and trickery largely overlap; however, deception may or may not imply blameworthiness, since it may suggest cheating or merely tactical resource.

magicians are masters of deception

When is double-dealing a more appropriate choice than trickery?

The words double-dealing and trickery can be used in similar contexts, but double-dealing suggests treachery or at least action contrary to a professed attitude.

a go-between suspected of double-dealing

In what contexts can fraud take the place of trickery?

Although the words fraud and trickery have much in common, fraud always implies guilt and often criminality in act or practice.

indicted for fraud

When could subterfuge be used to replace trickery?

While in some cases nearly identical to trickery, 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

Examples of trickery in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The blessed trickery of Hirsch's tome is its reverse-engineering, which enables you to conjure the essence of your favorite cocktails but in a replicable frozen fashion. Scott Hocker, theweek, 27 June 2024 Japan’s surprise strike on Pearl Harbor, the Allies’ Normandy landing on D-Day, and the Soviet Union’s nuclear gambit in the 1962 Cuban missile crisis all depended on trickery that deceived the military and political leaders of the opposing side. Amy Zegart, Foreign Affairs, 2 Nov. 2020 Each member of the group is crowned king or queen for a day and tasked with selecting a topic for that day’s stories, whether it be doomed love affairs, trickery or acts of generosity. Meilan Solly, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 July 2024 Modern audiences are in the know about the trickery that simulates great dangers. Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 19 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for trickery 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'trickery.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Thesaurus Entries Near trickery

Cite this Entry

“Trickery.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/trickery. Accessed 19 Sep. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on trickery

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!