trickery

noun

ˈtri-k(ə-)rē How to pronounce trickery (audio)
Definition of trickerynext
as in deception
the use of clever underhanded actions to achieve an end Delia resorted to trickery—even loading up the fishing equipment—to induce her dog into the car for his vet appointment

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

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 trickery That narrative decision fits with Saxon’s ethos to use real skills (sculpting, puppetry, painting) and not only computer trickery to accomplish their lofty goals. —Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 27 Jan. 2025 Criticisms and claims of trickery are at times pointed out. —Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 4 Apr. 2025 But there is no science supporting this trickery in the case of the weight-loss drugs. —Stephen Moore, Boston Herald, 21 Mar. 2025 This allows players to copy and paste textures to alter the environment, such as changing ice into lava, transforming waterfalls into climbable vines, and all manner of other trickery that helps to solve puzzles, defeat baddies, and unlock new areas of Riverside. —Matt Gardner, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for trickery
Recent Examples of Synonyms for trickery
  1. deception
  2. subterfuge
  3. treachery
  4. chicanery
  5. cunning
  6. gamesmanship
  7. skulduggery
  8. legerdemain
Noun
  • Through shocking testimonies from government insiders, confidential documents, and private audio recordings from the highest level of the military, BODYGUARD OF LIES exposes the tangled web of deception fed to the American public by the U.S. government during its 20-year war in Afghanistan.
    — Matthew Carey, Deadline, 7 May 2025
  • Mauriello, a senior lecturer at the University of Maryland, said in his experience, people's sympathetic nervous system could be activated by a host of reasons — beyond deception.
    — Juliana Kim, NPR, 30 Apr. 2025
Definition of deception
Noun
  • The line that the AI isn’t forming a personal opinion is a kind of sneaky subterfuge.
    — Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 8 May 2025
  • Even under sweeping Western sanctions, Russia was able to stay afloat through subterfuge and with support from allies like China and North Korea.
    — Linggong Kong, The Conversation, 25 Mar. 2025
Definition of subterfuge
Noun
  • Press play below to learn more about Wells’ treachery, and to get a sneak peek at the fugitive interacting with her latest target.
    — Matt Webb Mitovich, TVLine, 7 Apr. 2025
  • Sinners is one of the great vampire movies of the modern age, mining the legend of these perpetual outsiders who desperately yearn to belong, but whose silky promises are rooted in treachery.
    — Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 29 Apr. 2025
Definition of treachery
Noun
  • While shocking nonprofit chicanery has found itself in the media spotlight, the story of one West Texas charity deserves to be told and to inspire.
    — Jack Fowler, National Review, 7 Apr. 2025
  • The more processes and services a security tool contains, the more opportunities for such chicanery.
    — PCMAG, PCMAG, 4 Mar. 2025
Definition of chicanery
Noun
  • Neither his fearsome resolve nor his supreme cunning—which had enabled him to vanquish his rivals and spiritually crush his inner circle—was in evidence in 1941.
    — Stephen Kotkin, Foreign Affairs, 19 Sep. 2017
  • Despite being outnumbered 50-to-1 by the Five Families of the Italian mafia, the Westies’ legendary brutality and cunning have given them the leverage necessary to share the spoils through a fragile détente.
    — Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 18 Mar. 2025
Definition of cunning
Noun
  • Contract disputes, regulatory delays and political gamesmanship have choked off investment in transmission and generation.
    — Dan Eberhart, Forbes.com, 19 Apr. 2025
  • Or maybe — just maybe — there’s some gamesmanship at play.
    — Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 10 Apr. 2025
Definition of gamesmanship
Noun
  • This year the skulduggery began early and has been raging for week.
    — Tim Spiers, New York Times, 12 Apr. 2025
  • 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
Definition of skulduggery
Noun
  • Between April 1 and 7, the fair gathered 60 brands at the Palexpo exhibition center that broke new records, showcased world premieres and offered an ever-growing array of technical and artistic legerdemain in their latest high-end timepieces.
    — Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 17 Apr. 2025
  • Congressional legerdemain can’t wave away that reality.
    — Howard Gleckman, Forbes, 4 Dec. 2024
Definition of legerdemain

Browse Nearby Words

trickers
trickery
tricking
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Cite this Entry

“Trickery.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/trickery. Accessed 19 May. 2025.

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