1
as in magic
the art or skill of performing tricks or illusions for entertainment
the illusionist's show is an entertaining blend of legerdemain and over-the-top showmanship
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in deception
the use of clever underhanded actions to achieve an end
the reduction of the deficit is due in part to financial legerdemain that masks the true costs of running the government
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of legerdemain
Both activities depended on legerdemain and made elaborate use of optical illusions.
—
Jonathon Keats, Forbes, 23 Sep. 2024
Any such legislative legerdemain would be an unwarranted assault to circumvent the caps.
—State Senator Stephen Harding, Hartford Courant, 26 Feb. 2024
This legerdemain enabled Bragg to circumvent the two-year misdemeanor statute of limitations — in other words, the time to charge this stale case, which is based on seven-year-old bookkeeping entries, lapsed in 2019.
—The Editors, National Review, 29 May 2024
Serious people should know what an older version of antisemitic denialism was all about: a steady stream of factual nitpicks, logical inversions and rhetorical legerdemain meant to obfuscate and deny the greatest crime in history.
—Bret Stephens, The Mercury News, 8 Mar. 2024
See All Example Sentences for legerdemain
Jonathon Keats, Forbes, 23 Sep. 2024
Any such legislative legerdemain would be an unwarranted assault to circumvent the caps.
—State Senator Stephen Harding, Hartford Courant, 26 Feb. 2024
This legerdemain enabled Bragg to circumvent the two-year misdemeanor statute of limitations — in other words, the time to charge this stale case, which is based on seven-year-old bookkeeping entries, lapsed in 2019.
—The Editors, National Review, 29 May 2024
Serious people should know what an older version of antisemitic denialism was all about: a steady stream of factual nitpicks, logical inversions and rhetorical legerdemain meant to obfuscate and deny the greatest crime in history.
—Bret Stephens, The Mercury News, 8 Mar. 2024
See All Example Sentences for legerdemain
Recent Examples of Synonyms for legerdemain
Noun
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The magic of Frank Lloyd Wright’s genius design is its constant sense of surprise—an effect redoubled by the work of an artist like Johnson, who moves so fluidly between media.—
Stephanie Sporn,
Vogue,
18 Apr. 2025
-
Although she was run down, there was a magic and beauty in her form and features.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
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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That narrative decision fits with Saxon’s ethos to use real skills (sculpting, puppetry, painting) and not only computer trickery to accomplish their lofty goals.—
Carlos Aguilar,
Variety,
27 Jan. 2025
-
Criticisms and claims of trickery are at times pointed out.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
4 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
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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Read more Opinions in The Hill Op-ed related to energy & environment submitted to The Hill: Gavin Newsom’s climate change chicanery You’re all caught up.—
Rachel Frazin,
The Hill,
6 Feb. 2025
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Jane was a devout Protestant at a time of religious upheaval, the ultimate innocent victim of the chicanery of the Tudor court in the chaotic aftermath of Henry VIII’s reign.—
Pan Pylas,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Mar. 2025
Noun
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This year the skulduggery began early and has been raging for week.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
12 Apr. 2025
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Obviously, such a system is rife with uncertainty, and the history of the process is full of skulduggery, both on the club and player side.—
Tony Blengino,
Forbes,
13 Jan. 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
Cite this Entry
“Legerdemain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/legerdemain. Accessed 1 May. 2025.
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