as in prank
an act that is used to fool someone
His act was just a clever ruse to get me to go out with him.
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ruse
The Norwegian academy informs Abel Prize recipients with ruses similar to those used to spring a surprise birthday party on an unsuspecting person.
—
Kenneth Chang, New York Times, 26 Mar. 2025
Frank This character doing all the heavy lifting to keep Rick’s ruse afloat and Sam Rockwell doing all the heavy lifting to keep this plot interesting: Thank you for your service, gentlemen.
—Jessica M. Goldstein, Vulture, 31 Mar. 2025
This is, of course, a ruse to put Rick in the same room with Jim, who, according to his mother on her deathbed, killed his do-gooder dad.
—Judy Berman, Time, 31 Mar. 2025
The preposterous plot begins with the band of brothers (and savvy sisters, too) in search of an unclaimed corpse, disguising it as a Royal Marine officer, and creating a fictional persona to make their ruse credible.
—Frank Rizzo, Variety, 21 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ruse
Kenneth Chang, New York Times, 26 Mar. 2025
Frank This character doing all the heavy lifting to keep Rick’s ruse afloat and Sam Rockwell doing all the heavy lifting to keep this plot interesting: Thank you for your service, gentlemen.
—Jessica M. Goldstein, Vulture, 31 Mar. 2025
This is, of course, a ruse to put Rick in the same room with Jim, who, according to his mother on her deathbed, killed his do-gooder dad.
—Judy Berman, Time, 31 Mar. 2025
The preposterous plot begins with the band of brothers (and savvy sisters, too) in search of an unclaimed corpse, disguising it as a Royal Marine officer, and creating a fictional persona to make their ruse credible.
—Frank Rizzo, Variety, 21 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ruse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ruse
Noun
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The Squad created fun and silly content, from lip-syncs and pranks to skits and viral challenges.—
Monica Mercuri,
Forbes.com,
11 Apr. 2025
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The son quickly called his mom, who confirmed the ticket wasn’t a prank.—
Sam Gillette,
People.com,
9 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
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Warrantless search and seizure, deception, untrammeled use of force.—
Reader Commentary,
Baltimore Sun,
25 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The company, which sells hot and iced coffee, tea, shakes, as well as burritos and tacos, also hosts classes to teach dogs tricks.—
Saleen Martin,
USA Today,
25 Apr. 2025
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Dimbleby’s age, far from a liability, feels like a magic trick—rare is the podcast host in 2025 who can casually weave socioeconomics together with personal memories of the Second World War.—
Sarah Larson,
New Yorker,
24 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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The scene is straight out of a stratagem by Pier Paolo Pasolini (Bertolucci’s mentor), but Palud takes it literally without applying comparable ideological critique to the rest of her film.—
Armond White,
National Review,
28 Mar. 2025
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Its biting satire is complimented by engaging mechanics like the stratagems.—
David Faris,
Newsweek,
28 Dec. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Ruse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ruse. Accessed 2 May. 2025.
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