feint

Perhaps this is a feint in some grand art of the deal.

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

Whether the visit is a feint to draw Democratic dollars to the state or a true effort to expand the electoral map, only the Trump campaign knows.

It is the most delicate of dances, rife with subtle signals, attacks and feints, and deniable action.

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