TRICK Synonyms: 356 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

trick 1 of 3

noun

ˈtrik

Definition of trick

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in feat

an act of notable skill, strength, or cleverness it'd be quite a trick to hit that target from here

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in trait

an odd or peculiar habit a dog with the trick of eating cabbage

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

trick

3 of 3

adjective

as in tricky

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

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

Though trick-or-treating hasn’t even started yet, the holiday shopping season is already underway at the Old Sacramento Waterfront. — Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 22 Oct. 2026 But this is all an editing trick, not indicative of the content of next season one way or another. — Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 21 Oct. 2026

Verb

Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators (SERMs) such as Clomiphene Citrate, dosed at 25 to 50 mg daily for four to six weeks, trick the pituitary gland into producing more LH and FSH. — Samantha Agate, Sacbee.com, 19 Oct. 2026 But a few times in recent years, Hollins, a veterinarian, tricked Jonathan and slid a cotton swab into the giant tortoise's mouth to get a saliva sample. — Kyle Melnick The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 18 Oct. 2026

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

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

Eric André and Schulz were always making jokes and filming prank videos.

— Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 23 Oct. 2026
Prosecutors say Canadian visitor Mitchell Fairbarn took Peachy from the Flamingo Las Vegas habitat in a drunk prank and injured the bird; his lawyer says Fairbarn never intended harm.

— Jessica Hill, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of prank

Noun

Brushing off tombstones is a regular ritual in some cultures, including in Mexico where entire families clean and decorate graves, which are covered with orange marigolds for Day of the Dead.

— Kimberlee Kruesi, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2026
What saunas may offer women PT and lymphatic drainage expert Sonia Rose told Women’s Health that warmth has long been a female comfort ritual.

— Samantha Agate, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of ritual

Noun

The feat concludes a pursuit that began in 2009, when Zhang first experimented with riding a motorcycle on water and overcame early failures to achieve his latest goal.

— Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 26 Oct. 2026
It’s primed to leave theaters as one of the biggest non-musical documentaries of all time, a true feat for a nearly three-hour film that wasn’t publicized until a month before debuting in cinemas.

— Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of feat

Verb

But looks are deceiving in this case – just like the 3X Plus and 3X before it, the trailer stretches out via three individual telescopic segments that emerge at the push of a button.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 26 Oct. 2026
Facebook's lawyers argued that the state failed to prove whether people were actually harmed by these deceiving statements.

— ABC News, ABC News, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of deceive

Adjective

The tricky part was making sure Skarsgård could still emote while wearing the prosthetics.

— Kirbie Johnson, Allure, 23 Oct. 2026
And while adding these colors into your wardrobe may be as simple as swapping vibrant sweaters for moody, more autumnal-toned ones, altering your makeup routine can be tricky.

— Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of tricky

Browse Nearby Words

trichromatic

trick

tricked

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Trick.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/trick. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of trick

noun

verb

adjective

Synonym Chooser

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Language Is Magic

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on trick

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

milieu

Popular in Grammar & Usage

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE

Popular

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes

Synonyms of trick

noun

verb

adjective

Synonym Chooser

Example Sentences

Phrases Containing trick

Browse Nearby Words

Articles Related to trick

Language Is Magic

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on trick

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

milieu

Popular in Grammar & Usage

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE

Popular

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes