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
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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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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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of artifice
The film’s self-deprecatingly comedic artifice nonetheless captures chilling details of an adventure that starts with a demagogue’s cult-like following and ends with bloody corpses.
—
Richard Brody, New Yorker, 28 Mar. 2025
The sense of artifice is present throughout the film.
—Bill Desowitz, IndieWire, 18 Mar. 2025
Soderbergh and Koepp, for their part, express their own fervent belief: in the seductive glamour of espionage and the magnetism of Blanchett’s and Fassbender’s interlocking gazes—which is to say, in the enveloping artifice and power of movies.
—Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 12 Mar. 2025
But beneath all this color and artifice and levity runs something deeper and more personal.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 7 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for artifice
Richard Brody, New Yorker, 28 Mar. 2025
The sense of artifice is present throughout the film.
—Bill Desowitz, IndieWire, 18 Mar. 2025
Soderbergh and Koepp, for their part, express their own fervent belief: in the seductive glamour of espionage and the magnetism of Blanchett’s and Fassbender’s interlocking gazes—which is to say, in the enveloping artifice and power of movies.
—Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 12 Mar. 2025
But beneath all this color and artifice and levity runs something deeper and more personal.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 7 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for artifice
Recent Examples of Synonyms for artifice
Noun
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Richie buys Harry's ruse regarding Tommy's murder, but there's a catch.—
Matt Cabral,
EW.com,
20 Apr. 2025
-
The wedding started as an elaborate three-way ruse concocted by Wai-Tung, a gay Taiwanese American man; his white boyfriend, Simon (Mitchell Lichtenstein); and Wei-Wei, an undocumented Chinese immigrant.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
19 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Despite being outnumbered 50-to-1 by the Five Families of the Italian mafia, the Westies’ legendary brutality and cunning have given them the leverage necessary to share the spoils through a fragile détente.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
18 Mar. 2025
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Noted for his tenacity and cunning, Khamenei is also a man of conviction, and his hatred for the United States is deeply felt.—
Foreign Affairs,
Foreign Affairs,
25 Feb. 2025
Noun
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The combination of humor, humility, and skill made Arya stand out in a space dominated by polished perfection.—
Daniel Fusch,
USA Today,
27 Apr. 2025
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Each wave of new technologies eliminates the need for lower-skilled technical jobs and increases the skills needed for top-end jobs.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The Erosion Of Trust Through Inconsistent Words Many people associate the breakdown of trust with major betrayals like infidelity or deception.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
26 Apr. 2025
-
Warrantless search and seizure, deception, untrammeled use of force.—
Reader Commentary,
Baltimore Sun,
25 Apr. 2025
Noun
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But the most intriguing finish—and the most on-brand level of treachery from Heyman—would be Paul stabbing both Roman and Punk in the back for Rollins.—
Alfred Konuwa,
Forbes.com,
19 Apr. 2025
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Sinners is about vampires, perpetual outsiders who desperately yearn to belong, but whose silky promises are rooted in treachery.—
Stephanie Zacharek,
Time,
18 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Nearly 30 years ago California legislators faced a test of their integrity in voting for an electricity deregulation scheme that ratepayers are still paying for.—
Jamie Court,
Mercury News,
19 Apr. 2025
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Minnesota Vikings Needs: RB, D-line, CB, S Ole Miss CB Trey Amos: Amos has good instincts around the ball and the press coverage skills needed to fit Brian Flores’ defensive scheme, which places cornerbacks on an island most of the time. 25.—
Omar Kelly,
Miami Herald,
18 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Defense attorney Alan Jackson told the jury the collision never happened, and the investigation into Read was riddled with errors, bias, incompetence and deceit from the start.—
N'dea Yancey-Bragg,
USA Today,
24 Apr. 2025
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In economic markets, maintaining a consumer’s freedom of choice requires regulations against coercion and deceit.—
Michael Gregory,
The Conversation,
17 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Other times, the responsible parties engage in active subterfuge.—
Sarah Stillman,
New Yorker,
14 Apr. 2025
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His delivery of Mantel’s dialogue—modern, intelligent, bristling with implication and subterfuge—is mesmerizingly clear.—
Taylor Antrim,
Vogue,
20 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Artifice.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/artifice. Accessed 1 May. 2025.
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