subterfuge

[ suhb-ter-fyooj ]

noun

1. an artifice or expedient used to evade a rule, escape a consequence, hide something, etc.

   Synonyms: ruse, dodge, trick, scheme, deception

subterfuge

/ ˈsʌbtəˌfjuːdʒ /

noun

1. a stratagem employed to conceal something, evade an argument, etc

Word History and Origins

Origin of subterfuge¹

1565–75; < Late Latin subterfugium, equivalent to Latin subterfug ( ere ) to evade ( subter below + fugere to flee) + -ium -ium

Word History and Origins

Origin of subterfuge¹

C16: from Late Latin subterfugium, from Latin subterfugere to escape by stealth, from subter secretly + fugere to flee

Example Sentences

Using that intelligence, plus a little subterfuge, security passes can be copied, and the Red Team can enter the premises posing as an employee.

From BBC

The evidence that fossil fuel companies have been working behind the scenes to delay the transition to renewable energy, including spreading false stories about electric vehicles, is just the latest example of their subterfuge.

From Salon

On TV, as in life, it’s a full-contact sport that requires subterfuge and constant toggling between public and private identities.

From Los Angeles Times

It is changed, kicking and screaming, through subterfuge and sabotage and sometimes by force.

From Los Angeles Times

Those subterfuges in the United States, it turned out, were only a prelude to a more prominent and potentially more ominous campaign of deception he has been conducting from Russia.

From New York Times

Related Words

• deception
• ploy
• ruse
• sham
• stratagem