1
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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2
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
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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4
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
5
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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of artifice
Does that ground the film in reality or heighten the the artifice?
—
Stuart Miller, Orange County Register, 12 Feb. 2025
The sort of revelatory artifice is exactly what is so often missing from American movies, which, despite ostensible naturalism, lack the feeling of authentic contact with reality—especially of inner realities—which is so abundant in Gómez’s work.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 1 Feb. 2025
The film boasts the same sleek aesthetic as its predecessors, a choice that heightens the artifice of these scenarios.
—Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 28 Jan. 2025
The film calls attention to the artifice of—and the punishing effort behind—Romy’s attempts to self-optimize, which range from Botox injections to E.M.D.R. therapy.
—Alex Barasch, The New Yorker, 9 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for artifice
Stuart Miller, Orange County Register, 12 Feb. 2025
The sort of revelatory artifice is exactly what is so often missing from American movies, which, despite ostensible naturalism, lack the feeling of authentic contact with reality—especially of inner realities—which is so abundant in Gómez’s work.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 1 Feb. 2025
The film boasts the same sleek aesthetic as its predecessors, a choice that heightens the artifice of these scenarios.
—Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 28 Jan. 2025
The film calls attention to the artifice of—and the punishing effort behind—Romy’s attempts to self-optimize, which range from Botox injections to E.M.D.R. therapy.
—Alex Barasch, The New Yorker, 9 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for artifice
Recent Examples of Synonyms for artifice
Noun
-
The idea of doctors posing as podcasters to make men more suggestible is already a winner, but the language the doctors employ to complete the ruse ratchets up the comedy.—
Joe Berkowitz,
Vulture,
26 Jan. 2025
-
Is this to maintain the ruse of amateurism to go along with the players’ professed allegiance to and love of this particular university, however temporary?—
Reader Commentary,
Baltimore Sun,
14 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
For Mirren, the cunning and cruelty of Whitfield is a timely example of power corrupting absolutely.—
Hunter Ingram,
Variety,
23 Feb. 2025
-
Gilded by privilege and cunning, Glinda is a popular young woman who desires to wield magic.—
Destiny Jackson,
Deadline,
23 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
Isabel De Vries, Leetcode Wizard’s head of marketing, told CNBC in a statement that Leetcode-style interviews fail to accurately measure engineering skills and fail to reflect actual daily engineering work.—
Jennifer Elias,
CNBC,
9 Mar. 2025
-
With the rise of the gig economy and digital platforms, turning your existing skills into a profitable side hustle has never been easier, or more necessary.—
Melissa Houston,
Forbes,
9 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Tacopina recently appeared on The Breakfast Club to break down key elements of the defense’s strategy in proving Rocky’s innocence, and the plaintiff’s, A$AP Relli, lies and deception.—
Preezy Brown,
VIBE.com,
25 Feb. 2025
-
Today the art world is reeling over not just her deception, but also the stain Ms. Schiff has left on the largely unregulated business of art advising.—
Sarah Maslin Nir,
New York Times,
18 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Witness was his 1952 manifesto on fellow-traveling American liberals and their treachery, which emboldened the Soviet Union.—
Michael Kimmage,
Foreign Affairs,
25 Feb. 2025
-
The songs typically crop up in the final act of an episode as the tensions (and treacheries) mount.—
Mark Peikert,
IndieWire,
13 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
The 22-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury came after a yearslong federal investigation and alleged Madigan participated in an array of bribery and extortion schemes from 2011 to 2019 aimed at using the power of his office for personal gain.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Mar. 2025
-
Since Glossip’s 1998 conviction as the alleged orchestrator of a murder-for-hire scheme targeting his boss, Oklahoma City motel owner Barry Van Treese, a raft of issues with his prosecution has surfaced, coinciding with a shift of political winds now at the inmate’s back.—
Dakin Andone,
CNN,
28 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Much of the series’ pathos hinges on the growing schism between mother and son as Kanan begins to understand the horrors of Raq’s machinations and deceit (including tricking him into assassinating his biological father), leading him to try to go into business for himself.—
Robyn Bahr,
The Hollywood Reporter,
7 Mar. 2025
-
Thirteen showed signs of possible deceit or suspicious activity.—
Donna McGuire,
Ian Cummings,
and Glenn E. Rice,
Kansas City Star,
25 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
With a bit of guidance, navigating between the classic go-to’s and the newer dining options are scattered throughout the properties can lead to incredible culinary discoveries, plenty of popping champagne bottles and even a dash of historical subterfuge.—
Alissa Fitzgerald,
Forbes,
22 Feb. 2025
-
This sequence introduces The Agency as a maze of contradictory nationalist motivations, paranoia-inducing surveillance, and prevalent subterfuge — and, in its hidden center, a love story.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
24 Jan. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Artifice.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/artifice. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
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