ARTIFICE Synonyms: 197 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'artifice' different from other nouns like it?

Some common synonyms of artifice are feint , maneuver , ruse , stratagem , trick , and wile . While all these words mean "an indirect means to gain an end," artifice implies ingenious contrivance or invention. // the clever artifices of the stage

Q: When would 'feint' be a good substitute for 'artifice'?

While in some cases nearly identical to artifice , feint implies a diversion or distraction of attention away from one's real intent. // a feint toward the enemy's left flank

Q: When can 'maneuver' be used instead of 'artifice'?

While the synonyms maneuver and artifice are close in meaning, maneuver suggests adroit and skillful avoidance of difficulty. // last-minute maneuvers to avert bankruptcy

Q: When is 'ruse' a more appropriate choice than 'artifice'?

The synonyms ruse and artifice are sometimes interchangeable, but ruse stresses an attempt to mislead by a false impression. // the ruses of smugglers

Q: Where would 'stratagem' be a reasonable alternative to 'artifice'?

The words stratagem and artifice are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, stratagem implies a ruse used to entrap, outwit, circumvent, or surprise an opponent or enemy. // the stratagem -filled game

Q: When is it sensible to use 'trick' instead of 'artifice'?

The meanings of trick and artifice largely overlap; however, trick may imply deception, roguishness, illusion, and either an evil or harmless end. // the tricks of the trade

Q: When might 'wile' be a better fit than 'artifice'?

The words wile and artifice can be used in similar contexts, but wile suggests an attempt to entrap or deceive with false allurements. // used all of his wiles to ingratiate himself

artifice

noun

ˈär-tə-fəs

Definition of artifice

as in ruse

a clever often underhanded means to achieve an end used the artifice of saying his grandmother had died so that he could get the last seat on the plane

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as in cunning

skill in achieving one's ends through indirect, subtle, or underhanded means using their artifice, the Greeks crafted a hollow wooden horse to hide inside and thereby gained entry into the city of Troy

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as in skill

subtle or imaginative ability in inventing, devising, or executing something a painting that could only have been created with the artifice of a master

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in deception

the inclination or practice of misleading others through lies or trickery a crook who is a master of artifice and manipulation

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in treachery

the use of clever underhanded actions to achieve an end he's willing to resort to artifice to get himself out of this jam

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word artifice different from other nouns like it?

Some common synonyms of artifice are feint, maneuver, ruse, stratagem, trick, and wile. While all these words mean "an indirect means to gain an end," artifice implies ingenious contrivance or invention.

the clever artifices of the stage

When would feint be a good substitute for artifice?

While in some cases nearly identical to artifice, feint implies a diversion or distraction of attention away from one's real intent.

a feint toward the enemy's left flank

When can maneuver be used instead of artifice?

While the synonyms maneuver and artifice are close in meaning, maneuver suggests adroit and skillful avoidance of difficulty.

last-minute maneuvers to avert bankruptcy

When is ruse a more appropriate choice than artifice?

The synonyms ruse and artifice are sometimes interchangeable, but ruse stresses an attempt to mislead by a false impression.

the ruses of smugglers

Where would stratagem be a reasonable alternative to artifice?

The words stratagem and artifice are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, stratagem implies a ruse used to entrap, outwit, circumvent, or surprise an opponent or enemy.

the stratagem-filled game

When is it sensible to use trick instead of artifice?

The meanings of trick and artifice largely overlap; however, trick may imply deception, roguishness, illusion, and either an evil or harmless end.

the tricks of the trade

When might wile be a better fit than artifice?

The words wile and artifice can be used in similar contexts, but 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 artifice Portman actually released no statement, and many critics noted that Cusk’s novel is more of an intentionally disorienting examination of the artifices of self and celebrity than a tell-all roman à clef. — René Ostberg, Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Sep. 2026 But at the back of the hotel, on the Rue Cambon, Petit Bar became a kind of jewelled artifice, a sanctified space. — David Denby, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026 Laura Owens pleaded guilty to several criminal counts, including fraudulent schemes and artifices, taking the identity of another, and perjury. — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Aug. 2026 Both of these characters are men that are really raw, and there’s not a lot of artifice to either one of them. — Rebecca Ford, Vanity Fair, 11 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for artifice

Recent Examples of Synonyms for artifice

Noun

What about when Carole was hiding in the closet to try to overhear Luann calling her a pedophile, and Jules Wainstein kept trying to ruin her ruse?

— Brian Moylan, Vulture, 5 Oct. 2026
Last-ditch plan for prosecution Authorities next developed what Smallwood described as a last-ditch plan to prosecute Tanzer — a ruse that could catch him lying about the rape.

— Tim Stelloh, NBC news, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of ruse

Noun

Lethally charming and a natural chameleon, Conal uses social cunning and ruthlessness to get the job done and always gets a thrill out of completing a mission.

— Matt Grobar, Deadline, 22 Oct. 2026
Since the second Inauguration, the Trumps and their satraps have operated with all the commercial cunning of the Corleone family; the White House is their front, their Genco Pura Olive Oil Company.

— David Remnick, New Yorker, 11 Oct. 2026

Definition of cunning

Noun

During the interview with TBPN, Karp argued that AI is changing which skills and perspectives are valuable in the workplace.

— Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 25 Oct. 2026
Netflix’s skills and training programs reached over 6,500 people in Korea between 2021 and 2025.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 25 Oct. 2026

Definition of skill

Noun

The investigation also found that men from 29 countries were recruited through deception or coercion to fight for Russian forces, in violation of international law.

— Edith M. Lederer, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2026
But the movie’s most disturbing sequence takes the deception a lot further.

— Maxwell Adler, Vanity Fair, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of deception

Noun

The killings and his six-week trial in 2023 captivated the true crime world with a mix of treachery, corruption, money, power and Southern accents.

— Jeffrey Collins, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
The killings of Murdaugh’s wife and son and his subsequent six-week trial captivated the true crime world with a mix of treachery, corruption, money, power and Southern accents.

— ABC News, ABC News, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of treachery

Noun

The scheme came to light after Hegarty's sister-in-law, Peggy Hegarty, was contacted by an agent from the rooming house where Hegarty had been taken.

— Joan Murray, CBS News, 27 Oct. 2026
As part of the scheme, prosecutors allege, Heflin conspired with other companies and individuals to predetermine who would win certain business, at times submitting intentionally inflated bids to schools.

— Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of scheme

Noun

The term seems to imply a mastery of all the resources of a form, displayed in a surprising context without self-conscious artfulness.

— Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2026
No need to get bogged down in questions about provenance, artfulness, long-form storytelling, or even metaphors.

— Robin Givhan, Vanity Fair, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of artfulness

Browse Nearby Words

artifacts

artifice

artificer

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Style

“Artifice.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/artifice. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of artifice

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