trickery

[ trik-uh-ree ]

noun

, plural trick·er·ies.

1. the use or practice of tricks or stratagems to deceive; artifice; deception.
2. a trick used to deceive.

trickery

/ ˈtrɪkərɪ /

noun

1. the practice or an instance of using tricks

   he obtained the money by trickery

Word History and Origins

Origin of trickery¹

First recorded in 1790–1800; trick + -ery

Synonym Study

See duplicity.

Example Sentences

This summer, I got my name printed in the Calico Gazette, learned about misguided experiments that inspired theme park trickery — one involved electricity, a potato and resulted in a late afternoon explosion — and was a jury member in the case of a stolen 100 pound catfish.

From Los Angeles Times

The anger is at the Supreme Court for depriving the American people of the chance for a full public airing of Donald Trump’s attempt to use fraud and trickery to overturn Joe Biden’s 2020 presidential victory before voters consider whether to put Trump back in office beginning January 2025.

From Slate

This summer, I got my name printed in the Calico Gazette, learned about misguided experiments that inspired theme park trickery — one involved electricity, a potato and resulted in a late afternoon explosion — and was a jury member in the case of a stolen 100 pound catfish.

From Los Angeles Times

But recapturing the lightning-in-a-bottle cultural phenomenon of “Blair Witch” proved difficult as audiences grew more savvy to such marketing trickery.

From Los Angeles Times

After the stock market boom of the late 1990s, Americans were stunned and angered to learn that the energy firm Enron and telecommunication-services provider WorldCom had used accounting trickery to inflate their reported profits.

From New York Times

Related Words

• chicanery
• deceit
• dishonesty
• razzle-dazzle
• scam
• shell game
• stunt