TRICKS Synonyms: 247 Similar and Opposite Words

tricks 1 of 2

noun

plural of trick

as in ruses

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

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as in pranks

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

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as in rituals

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

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as in feats

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

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as in traits

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

conformities

tricks

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of trick

as in fools

to cause to believe what is untrue you tricked me into thinking my ex wasn't coming to the party tonight

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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 tricks

Noun

At home in Makhaza township, about 40 minutes from the college, Lubelo spends his free time watching magic shows online and practicing tricks on his brothers and parents. — Julie Bourdin, NPR, 25 Oct. 2026 The practical special effects seem to be on the booer’s side, leaning on stagy but charming in-camera tricks that have gone out of style, like switching actors between close-ups. — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026 Each goalie has their own preferred tricks to get their mind right when needed. — Jesse Granger, New York Times, 23 Oct. 2026 Here are some easy tricks to make your soups tastier and healthier. — Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 19 Oct. 2026 Unsurprisingly, writers have developed a myriad of strategies and tricks to push through this awkward stage. — Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2026 Ahead, moving-industry insiders reveal their tricks of the trade to make moving so much better. — Perri Ormont Blumberg, Architectural Digest, 12 Oct. 2026 For most of history, locksmiths and lockmakers have guarded their secrets as closely as magicians withhold their tricks. — Shayla Love, New Yorker, 10 Oct. 2026 Homemade enchiladas might sound like a laborious weekend project, but with a few clever tricks, this version made with black beans and pumpkin can be whipped up on even the most hurried of work nights. — Jesse Szewczyk, Bon Appetit Magazine, 5 Oct. 2026

Verb

While Bela is using the bathroom, Other Mommy approaches her and tricks her into agreeing that their family would be better if Frank wasn’t around. — William Earl, Variety, 9 Oct. 2026 Twenty-one players, two tribes — there’s still tricks up host Jeff Probst’s sleeve. — Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2026 Mykal-Michelle Harris from Raven’s Home guest stars as Ruby, a mischievous moon imp who tricks Vee. — Allison McClain Merrill, Parents, 22 Sep. 2026 Short crown layers build lift and help create volume, which tricks the eye into seeing more density overall, and face-framing pieces create visual fullness around the face. — Marci Robin, Allure, 11 Aug. 2026 Lord Ormund’s Gambit Lord Ormund has many, many tricks up his green sleeves. — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 3 Aug. 2026 In effect, RedHook tricks the phone into connecting to its own powerful debugging controls, giving the malware deeper access without a computer. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 20 July 2026 Exterior walls, similarly, may be warmer than an interior wall, which tricks the thermostat and causes the AC to run longer than necessary. — Timothy Dale, The Spruce, 15 July 2026 Cthulhu, who tricks the Minions into releasing his friends from purgatory. — Damon Wise, Deadline, 29 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for tricks

Noun

There’s a delightful secret history of Hollywood directors whose ruses and stratagems bought them an unusual amount of leeway with their scripts.

— Richard Brody, New Yorker, 5 Aug. 2026
Even before pro-party AI ruses were possible, the Chinese government and its supporters flooded social media with pro-China propaganda and vicious attacks on critics.

— Michael Schuman, The Atlantic, 7 July 2026

Definition of ruses

Noun

The Muskego Police Department is warning Muskego High School students about consequences of pranks causing damage after the department received over 20 complaints in less than two weeks.

— Alec Johnson, jsonline.com, 22 Sep. 2026
The set includes a variety of items, including a new book entitled Slappy’s Book of Pranks, which includes directions for over 20 different pranks, Slappy trivia, a history of pranking, jokes and an introduction by Stine himself.

— Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of pranks

Noun

The teenager missed her mother’s cooking, her hugs, and their small, ordinary rituals of life together – reading, shopping, and singing.

— Hanako Montgomery, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2026
Patel-Dunn told CNBC that 30 to 45 minutes of aerobic exercise four or five times a week can measurably improve mood, a signal of how much daily behavior shapes seasonal mental health, and how early rituals compound across the darker months.

— Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of rituals

Noun

The car can accelerate from zero-60 in less than a second and perform feats that once belonged in science fiction.

— Rick Lazio, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2026
Following that logic, the name of Florentina Holzinger’s final Venice Biennale performance, CLOSING ÉTUDE, suggests that after seven months of her propriety-imploding, waste-wonderland SEAWORLD VENICE, there are feats of endurance still ahead.

— Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of feats

Noun

For the tinkering types, Meta also released open weights for Muse’s code to help people connect it to a range of other devices.

— Marty Swant, Washington Post, 27 Oct. 2026
Chinese clinical tools, medical devices, and enabling technologies are likely to become increasingly central, as well.

— Ruby Wang, semafor.com, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of devices

Noun

These experiences can obliterate people’s ability to predict what will keep them safe.

— Maia Szalavitz, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
Ukraine’s battlefield experiences may offer useful lessons for the Pentagon, which has spent decades developing and testing uncrewed aircraft for casualty evacuation missions without actually putting them into operation.

— Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 20 Oct. 2026