feint

But this is all a feint: The movie sets you up for one thing and then delivers another.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026

There is no strict definition of a stutter, but under Fifa rules, a player is allowed to stop or feint during the run-up as long as they don't do it directly before kicking the ball.

From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026

On a metatextual level, the show is itself a masterful feint.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2024

It's a feint, an effort to scare his opponents into believing his ascension is unstoppable, so they stop fighting him.

From Salon ● Dec. 30, 2023

He likes to feint, pretend his sword is going one way rather than another.

From "Black Brother, Black Brother" by Jewell Parker Rhodes

War is filled with flopping, feints and trickery.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 12, 2026

It was the culmination of a series of feints and bluffs in the preceding hours and days as the former reality TV star kept the world guessing.

From Barron's ● Feb. 28, 2026

In these situations, he would carry his team upfield using deceptive feints to create space from opponents pressing him.

From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2025

Bud started upping the feints, forcing Willie to swing wide and hard.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2023

Marcus feints left with his scim, and when Helene counters, he grins.

From "An Ember in the Ashes" by Sabaa Tahir

Politano turned provider two minutes before halftime as he sent Kvaratskhelia down the left and the winger cut inside, feinted and then squeezed a shot between Verona goalkeeper Lorenzo Montipò and the near post.

From Washington Times ● Oct. 21, 2023

The fight begun with both athletes showing patience as Volkanovski feinted and switched stances, while Makhachev looked for openings.

From BBC ● Feb. 12, 2023

At the end of the first half, Brown feinted a drive that rocked Ute defender Both Gach off balance before stepping back for a contested 22-foot three-pointer that splashed through the net as time expired.

From Seattle Times ● Feb. 2, 2022

Lang hammered his entrance like the first hard few drops of an incoming storm and just as quickly feinted into an airy, gentle touch, from the ground to the clouds in an instant.

From Washington Post ● Sep. 19, 2021

Ekon feinted left, then turned on his heel.

From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray

The senior pulled out to the elbow before feinting right, going left, dusting her defender and streaking to the goal.

From Washington Post ● Apr. 27, 2023

Donato would then put his team ahead in the shootout round, feinting right and deking goalie Marc-Andre Fleury to the left.

From Seattle Times ● Jan. 17, 2022

Moore for a 10-yard score — a pass made possible by Newton stepping up in the pocket, feinting a scramble to draw in the safety to leave Moore open.

From Washington Times ● Nov. 21, 2021

First, Turnbull slipped after feinting to play the ball out in his own box, and that allowed Mitchel Bakker to square for Hincapie to sweep home the opener on 25 minutes.

From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2021

Bull set him down and they pretended to box each other, weaving and feinting with exaggerated aggressiveness, cuffing each other on the head and punching each other on the shoulders.

From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy