1
as in ruses
a clever often underhanded means to achieve an end
her husband used every trick in the book to get out of appearing in his parish's fashion show
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in pranks
a playful or mischievous act intended as a joke
thought that gluing the silver dollar to the floor and watching him struggle to pick it up would be a good trick
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in rituals
a usual manner of behaving or doing
that deadbeat is up to his usual tricks: once again he's claiming the check is in the mail
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in feats
an act of notable skill, strength, or cleverness
it'd be quite a trick to hit that target from here
Synonyms & Similar Words
5
as in traits
an odd or peculiar habit
a dog with the trick of eating cabbage
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in fools
to cause to believe what is untrue
you tricked me into thinking my ex wasn't coming to the party tonight
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of tricks
Hallie Milstein, Southern Living, 10 Feb. 2026
When later asked about the keys to forcing timing turnovers, Harmon said there are techniques and tricks of the trade that the Longhorns practice.
—Danny Davis, Austin American Statesman, 10 Feb. 2026
There's also one terrain park for those who want to throw some tricks.
—Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 10 Feb. 2026
By the time Bea is ready to start her tricks, Chloe is already two or three runs deep into her bag.
—Los Angeles Times, 10 Feb. 2026
Typically, doctors recommend trying a few other tricks first—eating products with ginger, taking a combo of the over-the-counter drugs doxylamine (Unisom) and vitamin B6, and even acupuncture.
—Julia Ries Wexler, SELF, 9 Feb. 2026
In slopestyle, skiers perform acrobatic tricks while skiing over rails and jumps that are judged for difficulty and execution.
—Joseph Wilson, Chicago Tribune, 9 Feb. 2026
Defending champion Germaud and Gu, the 2018 champ were clearly the best in the competition, and both nailed eye-popping tricks.
—Outside, 9 Feb. 2026
Each athlete will get three runs down the course, performing outrageous tricks across rails and jumps.
—Isabel Yip, NBC news, 9 Feb. 2026
Beth Botts, Chicago Tribune, 4 Jan. 2026
This tricks incoming missiles into targeting the decoy instead of the actual jet.
—Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 30 Dec. 2025
The dark color of the dress also tricks the eye into seeing a longer, cleaner look.
—Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Nov. 2025
Mulching too early traps heat and tricks plant roots to remain active and produce new growth.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 8 Nov. 2025
An unexpected, shocking tax bill owed after a scammer tricks you into draining a retirement fund to hand over your money to them.
—Susan Tompor, Freep.com, 30 Oct. 2025
Mykal-Michelle Harris from Raven’s Home guest-stars as Ruby, a mischievous moon imp who tricks Vee.
—Allison McClain Merrill, Parents, 27 Oct. 2025
Still, nothing tricks us into the spirit of autumn quite like scent.
—Raquel Reichard, Refinery29, 1 Oct. 2025
The interference has included both jamming—overpowering communications with strong radio signals—and spoofing, which tricks receivers into misreading their location or even the time.
—Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Sep. 2025
Noun
Instead, here's how to make your house smell good with these tricks to tackle smelly odors in your home and promote pleasant scents.
—Hallie Milstein, Southern Living, 10 Feb. 2026
When later asked about the keys to forcing timing turnovers, Harmon said there are techniques and tricks of the trade that the Longhorns practice.
—Danny Davis, Austin American Statesman, 10 Feb. 2026
There's also one terrain park for those who want to throw some tricks.
—Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 10 Feb. 2026
By the time Bea is ready to start her tricks, Chloe is already two or three runs deep into her bag.
—Los Angeles Times, 10 Feb. 2026
Typically, doctors recommend trying a few other tricks first—eating products with ginger, taking a combo of the over-the-counter drugs doxylamine (Unisom) and vitamin B6, and even acupuncture.
—Julia Ries Wexler, SELF, 9 Feb. 2026
In slopestyle, skiers perform acrobatic tricks while skiing over rails and jumps that are judged for difficulty and execution.
—Joseph Wilson, Chicago Tribune, 9 Feb. 2026
Defending champion Germaud and Gu, the 2018 champ were clearly the best in the competition, and both nailed eye-popping tricks.
—Outside, 9 Feb. 2026
Each athlete will get three runs down the course, performing outrageous tricks across rails and jumps.
—Isabel Yip, NBC news, 9 Feb. 2026
Verb
One of the dangers of the Midwestern climate is a late-winter warm spell that thaws the soil and tricks bulbs and other plants into sprouting too early.
—Beth Botts, Chicago Tribune, 4 Jan. 2026
This tricks incoming missiles into targeting the decoy instead of the actual jet.
—Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 30 Dec. 2025
The dark color of the dress also tricks the eye into seeing a longer, cleaner look.
—Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Nov. 2025
Mulching too early traps heat and tricks plant roots to remain active and produce new growth.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 8 Nov. 2025
An unexpected, shocking tax bill owed after a scammer tricks you into draining a retirement fund to hand over your money to them.
—Susan Tompor, Freep.com, 30 Oct. 2025
Mykal-Michelle Harris from Raven’s Home guest-stars as Ruby, a mischievous moon imp who tricks Vee.
—Allison McClain Merrill, Parents, 27 Oct. 2025
Still, nothing tricks us into the spirit of autumn quite like scent.
—Raquel Reichard, Refinery29, 1 Oct. 2025
The interference has included both jamming—overpowering communications with strong radio signals—and spoofing, which tricks receivers into misreading their location or even the time.
—Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tricks
Noun
-
The New York Colored American reported that some offers of short-term work for Black men — moving livestock to or from Kentucky, for example — were ruses that ended with kidnappings.—
Equal Justice Initiative,
USA Today,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Many suspect a spam call and don't pick up the phone, leading foundation staff to sometimes devise ruses.—
Kelly Meyerhofer,
jsonline.com,
8 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Years of insults and diss tracks and pranks and social media posts have followed, with small islands of peace floating by from time to time.—
Assistant Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Reba McEntire is a survivor — of six years of pranks!—
Wesley Stenzel,
Entertainment Weekly,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Our Turkishness was manifest in small and decontextualized rituals that could hardly pass as some ‘authentic’ experience.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Many of the treatments tap into Ayurvedic traditions, with an extensive menu of options including body work, energy treatment, facials, and other beauty rituals.—
Paul Brady,
Travel + Leisure,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Containing everyday shoes is one of the trickiest feats in a home, but a system that works for the whole family keeps the chaos contained.—
Wendy Rose Gould,
Martha Stewart,
9 Feb. 2026
-
The 2026 Winter Olympic Games have begun and celebrities have flocked to Milan and Cortina to watch the death-defying feats of athleticism in person.—
Kathleen Walsh,
Glamour,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Personality traits such as mental toughness, discipline, high pain tolerance and persistence may also lead to worsened eating disorder risk and behaviors in athletes.—
Emily Hemendinger,
The Conversation,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Because so many anatomical and physiological traits differ between the two animals, the specific impact of limb mass distribution could not be isolated.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
In September, a swarm of Russian drones flew into Poland's airspace, prompting NATO aircraft to scramble to intercept them and shoot down some of the devices.—
DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE STAFF FROM WIRE REPORTS,
Arkansas Online,
6 Feb. 2026
-
The countries announced a framework for the agreement in November, saying Argentina would ease restrictions on a range of American imports, including cattle, dairy products, medicines, chemicals, machinery, medical devices and vehicles.—
Isabel Debre,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
One of the most formative experiences in my career has been handling family and domestic violence matters, where the legal issues are complex and the human stakes are very real.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
13 Feb. 2026
-
His experiences now aid him in helping leaders overcome their own mental barriers and achieve exceptional performance without overwhelm.—
Jason Phillips,
USA Today,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
As malls have closed because of shifting consumer shopping habits and a desire for more lucrative development opportunities, the expansive empty buildings have taken on a new draw as a kind of postapocalyptic wasteland, much to the chagrin of local officials.—
Roger Vincent,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Osiecki lists various economic reasons for this emphasis on money habits, including rising housing costs, rising costs of everyday essentials like groceries and utilities, student loan and credit card debt.—
Gili Malinsky,
CNBC,
10 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tricks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tricks. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
