trickster

But the scares were middling to begin with because Øvredal — a game but overeager trickster — telegraphs his set pieces as if he were equipped with a flare gun and detour cones.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 22, 2026

Watching a trickster hypnotize someone in a live performance might impress you.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 13, 2025

The work in question is a "maqāma" -- an Arabic literary form that often features a wandering "trickster."

From Science Daily ● Nov. 11, 2025

Crudup plays 19 characters in the 80-minute performance, taking on the roles of everyone the titular confidence trickster comes into contact with.

From BBC ● Mar. 14, 2024

“You were caught in our trap, plain as day. We knew the trickster would send someone, but children? He is truly desperate.”

From "Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky" by Kwame Mbalia

But in a new type of scam, tricksters armed with specific details about their potential victims have applied tremendous pressure to comply with seemingly legitimate demands, convincing many.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 9, 2026

"Ravens have fascinated people forever," Marzluff said, noting the birds have been considered everything from "creators and tricksters" to "opportunistic pests."

From Barron's ● Mar. 12, 2026

Not exercising responsibility for safeguarding the property of the evacuees allowed “an interval of golden opportunity to swindlers and tricksters who had a terrified group of people at their mercy,” according to the apology.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 31, 2025

But although screening at publishers is helpful, the arms race between screening methods and tricksters means it is unlikely to stem the tide of problematic papers entirely.

From Science Magazine ● May 31, 2024

What kind of tricksters invited accusers to examine them up close?

From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock