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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
The expansiveness of the plot’s scale turns suffocating as a result, which fatally detracts from Anderson’s singular talent for achieving truth through artifice.
—
David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 18 May 2025
Mayhem centers Gaga’s raucous beginnings in its sound and promotion, prodding layers of artifice and performance.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 11 Mar. 2025
Her themes have remained consistent—memory and its erosion, photographic artifice, and the construction of identity by linguistic and visual codes.
—Julian Lucas, New Yorker, 5 May 2025
Everyone here is being so damn polite, but Leach can’t stand all the artifice.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 16 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for artifice
David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 18 May 2025
Mayhem centers Gaga’s raucous beginnings in its sound and promotion, prodding layers of artifice and performance.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 11 Mar. 2025
Her themes have remained consistent—memory and its erosion, photographic artifice, and the construction of identity by linguistic and visual codes.
—Julian Lucas, New Yorker, 5 May 2025
Everyone here is being so damn polite, but Leach can’t stand all the artifice.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 16 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for artifice
Recent Examples of Synonyms for artifice
Noun
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The Republicans’ billionaire populism has always been a ruse.—
Jim Miller,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
5 June 2025
-
For the artist Christina Ramberg, watching her mother getting dressed for parties—in particular, putting on a corset called a merry widow, which gave her an hourglass figure—revealed the extent to which the female form was a ruse.—
Jane Yong Kim,
The Atlantic,
30 May 2025
Noun
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On the other end of the spectrum was the more docile Kelly who often felt conflicted when her morals clashed with the cunning needed to succeed in the game.—
Nick Caruso,
TVLine,
27 May 2025
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But Waltz also advocated for further diplomatically isolating President Vladimir Putin — a position that was out of step with Trump, who has viewed the Russian leader, at moments, with admiration for his cunning in dealings with Trump’s predecessors.—
Matthew Lee,
Chicago Tribune,
24 May 2025
Noun
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For example, someone who’s the go-to person in navigating the team’s tools may want to improve their negotiation or decision-making skills.—
Sho Dewan,
Forbes.com,
13 June 2025
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Both coaches, who have been in Stanley Cup Finals before and in hockey their whole lives, remarked on the pace, physicality, the quality of hockey from board battles to open ice skill plays.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
13 June 2025
Noun
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Recently recovered emails, messages, photos, and videos reveal the depths of the deception.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
9 June 2025
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Even commercial amusements that played with illusion, such as trompe l’oeil paintings and chess-playing automatons, helped train Americans of all classes to identify the signs of deception.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
9 June 2025
Noun
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That’s the treachery of this world, that’s the trap.—
Lauren Coates,
Variety,
24 May 2025
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Press play below to learn more about Wells’ treachery, and to get a sneak peek at the fugitive interacting with her latest target.—
Matt Webb Mitovich,
TVLine,
7 Apr. 2025
Noun
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At the end of February, a pedestrian was hit in West London by an ebike rider in West London — not a rental or sharing scheme, to be clear — and died after a month in hospital.—
Nicole Kobie,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2025
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Though details of how the gambling operation functioned have not been released, HSI Tampa said in its post the scheme generated more than $21.6 million in illicit proceeds.—
Cristóbal Reyes,
The Orlando Sentinel,
5 June 2025
Noun
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From the master-of-disguise frogfish to a butt-biting jackal and a multi headed caterpillar playing the decoy, these are the masters of deception and deceit.—
Tony Maglio,
HollywoodReporter,
27 May 2025
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When a simple mistake turns into a fatal error for one of his patients, Sam tries to bury the truth under a facade of perfection, knowing that a lifetime of deceit is about to be exposed.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
22 May 2025
Noun
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When the magazine writer Dylan (Daryl Wein) and his girlfriend and photographer, Lucy (Abigail Cowen), descend upon the rocker Milo (Jack Farthing), there’s subterfuge afoot.—
Lisa Kennedy,
New York Times,
1 May 2025
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The only safe refuge, 20 miles away, is the federal garrison at Harpers Ferry, but reaching it will require much subterfuge and even more luck.—
Alida Becker,
New York Times,
30 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Artifice.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/artifice. Accessed 19 Jun. 2025.
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