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ruses

NOUN

trick, deception

Synonyms

STRONGEST

feint game plan gimmick hoax ploy sham stratagem stunt subterfuge

STRONG

angle artifice blind deceit device dodge gambit game imposture jig maneuver scenario shenanigans shift switch twist wile

WEAK

booby trap curveball

Antonyms

STRONG

frankness honesty openness reality stagnation truth truthfulness

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Skipton’s devious ruses and desperate escapades prove diverting.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 2, 2026

The specific issue with the windbreakers was that ICE agents were engaging in various ruses to get people to open the door.

From Slate • Jul. 3, 2025

His direction helped me appreciate the deeper Shakespearean meaning of the play’s merry ruses.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 13, 2023

These predecessors’ ruses with perspective, and philosophical gameplay, should reframe Braque’s embedment of calling cards and signed documents, Picasso’s outlines of painters’ palettes and easels, or Gris’s collages of fake marble and faux-bois wallpaper.

From New York Times • Sep. 5, 2022

“The best ruses always have some seed of truth,” said the Tattered Prince.

From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin