Synonyms for

Trick

Verb / trɪk / Another word for trick — explore alternatives below. For syllable breakdowns and pronunciation, see this word on Syllablesworld.

Definition

something done to deceive or fool someone

Synonyms & similar words

fob magictrick puton illusion playatrickon flimflam conjuringtrick john antic deception prank magic legerdemain conjuration fox fastone caper playajokeon whoremonger pullafastoneon joke whoremaster thaumaturgy playtricks ruse deception ploy gimmick scheme prank hoax fraud shenanigans maneuver ploy stunt artifice ploy swindle deceit joke jape dodge flimflam

Synonyms by register

Formal

ruse stratagem maneuver ploy

Informal

gimmick stunt scheme ploy shenanigan

Literary

artifice wile feint

Antonyms

honesty truth fairness openness sincerity straightforwardness

Common collocations

  • play a trick
  • trick of the light
  • dirty trick
  • magic trick
  • trick question
  • pull a trick
  • trick of the mind

Word family

noun trick
verb trick
adjective tricky

Usage note

As a noun, 'trick' often implies deception or a clever, sometimes dishonest, action. As a verb, it means to deceive or fool someone.

Example sentences

  1. The clown did a funny trick with his big red shoes.
  2. I played a trick on my friend by putting a fake spider in her lunchbox.
  3. The magician's greatest trick was making a live tiger disappear.
  4. The dog learned a new trick where he could balance a treat on his nose.
  5. The car salesman used a trick to make the car seem cheaper than it really was.

Quotes

  • "Every good trick is an insult to life." - Michel Foucault
  • "The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist." - Charles Baudelaire
  • "The whole trick of life is to get used to it." - W. Somerset Maugham

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