subterfuge

American  

[suhb-ter-fyooj] / ˈsʌb tərˌfyudʒ /

noun

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

   Synonyms:

   ruse, dodge, trick, scheme, deception

---

subterfuge British  

/ ˈsʌbtəˌfjuːdʒ /

noun

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

---

Etymology

Origin of subterfuge

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

Example Sentences

And—circling back to “Slater the Traitor”—industrial espionage is also proliferating, as individuals and nations look to gain through subterfuge.

From Barron's

The Miami Hurricanes’ coach has turned the natural secrecy, stealth, and subterfuge of college football and turned it into his signature.

From The Wall Street Journal

They found tests showed it was possible, but there was no evidence of this type of subterfuge taking place.

From BBC

Pulling it off required 18 months of meticulous planning, daring subterfuge, high-tech gadgets, cool nerves—and a dollop of luck.

From The Wall Street Journal

“The Baron of Wall Street” proclaims that Dillon—not alone in his era—enriched himself through “chicanery, subterfuge, and graft.”

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• deception
• ploy
• ruse
• sham
• stratagem