How to Use subterfuge in a Sentence

subterfuge

noun
  • They obtained the documents by subterfuge.
  • Now there’s a lot of subterfuge and a lot of cloak and dagger.
    — Matthew Schneier, Vulture, 15 Apr. 2021
  • Do not let the subterfuge concern you.
    — Judith Martin, Mercury News, 27 Nov. 2025
  • These men hid their wounds, but their lives have been stained with the effort of that subterfuge.
    — James Wood, The New Yorker, 31 May 2017
  • Karen doesn’t have to keep up the subterfuge by returning through the same door.
    — Washington Post, 21 July 2021
  • Then again, that’s the first rule of espionage and subterfuge.
    — San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Mar. 2021
  • At worst, her subterfuge could bring her expulsion — or worse.
    — Mike Scott, NOLA.com, 8 Sep. 2020
  • But alewives also doom lake trout in a manner that borders on subterfuge.
    — jsonline.com, 2 Sep. 2021
  • That the performance was so damn good only made the subterfuge all the more worth it.
    — Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 17 May 2024
  • In the end, the subterfuge with Priester served merely as a subplot.
    — Andy McCullough, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025
  • Jon didn’t have to commit subterfuge and lie to his children or anything.
    — Tatiana Siegel, Rolling Stone, 30 Jan. 2022
  • But this subterfuge is perhaps the very substance of the paintings.
    — Zoë Hopkins, New York Times, 2 Jan. 2025
  • Of course, that could simply be subterfuge coming from Loomis.
    — Luke Johnson, NOLA.com, 27 Jan. 2021
  • Both men were in the business of subterfuge and surveillance.
    — Ronan Farrow, The New Yorker, 7 Oct. 2019
  • Including some subterfuge in this case.
    — Kansas City Star, 24 Apr. 2026
  • Her messy blond bun and uniform of black turtlenecks have not been held up as a smoking gun in her subterfuge.
    — Washington Post, 8 Dec. 2021
  • Use subterfuge and luck to evade the police officers bent on stopping you.
    — Michael O’Donnell, WSJ, 13 Nov. 2020
  • Roy’s father turns to mild subterfuge to help his son win Celestial back.
    — Patty Rhule, USA TODAY, 6 Feb. 2018
  • The subterfuge may last until observers get around to the side and rear-quarter aspects.
    — Dan Neil, WSJ, 23 Apr. 2021
  • Some of the subterfuge worked, but not all of the artifacts were protected.
    — Washington Post, 2 Oct. 2021
  • The subterfuge over labels doesn’t change the nature of the threat to our democracy.
    — Katherine Stewart, The New Republic, 27 Oct. 2022
  • And in a scheme built on deception and subterfuge, that could be more valuable than anything else.
    — Daniel Oyefusi, baltimoresun.com, 3 June 2021
  • The Blacks’ defeat would be certain if not for dragons and subterfuge.
    — Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 22 June 2026
  • Skip the subterfuge as the sun and Mercury harmonize.
    — Usa Today, USA Today, 14 May 2026
  • This is a subterfuge in an attempt to sidestep the elements of gambling.
    — Daniel Wallach, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2024
  • There's a lot of strategy involved and likely a lot of subterfuge taking place.
    — Mary Kay Cabot, cleveland.com, 11 Apr. 2018
  • The story then unfolded through the subterfuge of the princess and the care of Morton.
    — Simon Perry, PEOPLE, 28 Oct. 2025
  • Somehow, Hunt learned of the subterfuge and called Gabriel at the hotel to make the offer.
    — Mike Kupper, Los Angeles Times, 20 Apr. 2024
  • Experts said the attack would have required weeks, at least, of preparation and subterfuge.
    — Aaron Steckelberg, Washington Post, 10 Oct. 2023
  • Profit remains suspicious to many French people who view it as a subterfuge of the rich.
    — Roger Cohen, New York Times, 14 Mar. 2023

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

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