1
as in ruse
a clever often underhanded means to achieve an end
used the artifice of saying his grandmother had died so that he could get the last seat on the plane
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2
as in cunning
skill in achieving one's ends through indirect, subtle, or underhanded means
using their artifice, the Greeks crafted a hollow wooden horse to hide inside and thereby gained entry into the city of Troy
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3
as in skill
subtle or imaginative ability in inventing, devising, or executing something
a painting that could only have been created with the artifice of a master
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4
as in deception
the inclination or practice of misleading others through lies or trickery
a crook who is a master of artifice and manipulation
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in treachery
the use of clever underhanded actions to achieve an end
he's willing to resort to artifice to get himself out of this jam
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of artifice
Her themes have remained consistent—memory and its erosion, photographic artifice, and the construction of identity by linguistic and visual codes.
—
Julian Lucas, New Yorker, 5 May 2025
Everyone here is being so damn polite, but Leach can’t stand all the artifice.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 16 Apr. 2025
Fielder and his filmmaking team are able to toggle between the LED wall providing realistic lighting and environments, and the LED wall as an absurd piece of artifice.
—Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 23 Apr. 2025
Artifice Armor: This one is a bit of a paradox as yes, the artifice slot is really, really useful, but all of these have either too-low stats or not spiky-enough stats, so the armor is pretty bad.
—Paul Tassi, Forbes, 22 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for artifice
Julian Lucas, New Yorker, 5 May 2025
Everyone here is being so damn polite, but Leach can’t stand all the artifice.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 16 Apr. 2025
Fielder and his filmmaking team are able to toggle between the LED wall providing realistic lighting and environments, and the LED wall as an absurd piece of artifice.
—Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 23 Apr. 2025
Artifice Armor: This one is a bit of a paradox as yes, the artifice slot is really, really useful, but all of these have either too-low stats or not spiky-enough stats, so the armor is pretty bad.
—Paul Tassi, Forbes, 22 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for artifice
Recent Examples of Synonyms for artifice
Noun
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Important claims, like whether or not the Los Angeles wildfires were merely a ruse to hide pedophiles.—
Matt Fleming,
Oc Register,
18 May 2025
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But a Southern California man and his co-conspirators devised an elaborate ruse — involving a boatload of fake orders and manipulation of the company’s software — that netted them millions, prosecutors say.—
Kaitlyn Huamani,
Los Angeles Times,
14 May 2025
Noun
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Neither his fearsome resolve nor his supreme cunning—which had enabled him to vanquish his rivals and spiritually crush his inner circle—was in evidence in 1941.—
Stephen Kotkin,
Foreign Affairs,
19 Sep. 2017
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Despite being outnumbered 50-to-1 by the Five Families of the Italian mafia, the Westies’ legendary brutality and cunning have given them the leverage necessary to share the spoils through a fragile détente.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
18 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Turns out that state budget surplus that Casey’s hubby has been claiming as evidence of his own special skills was propped up all along by COVID-era billions, courtesy of the smiling guy with the aviator glasses and crippling ice cream addiction.—
Pat Beall,
The Orlando Sentinel,
1 June 2025
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Like everyone else watching, Mascherano marveled at Messi’s skill.—
Michelle Kaufman,
Miami Herald,
1 June 2025
Noun
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As an escaped convict posing as a beloved preacher, and as his gentle, upright twin, Robeson embodies a devastating split between appearance and truth, and whose uncanny doubling plays out in a community shaped by racial violence, spiritual deception, and economic precarity.—
Samantha Bergeson,
IndieWire,
21 May 2025
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Ellie, however, cannot abide Joel’s deception, and interrupts to tell the truth to Gail, who then slaps Joel and tells him to leave.—
Adam B. Vary,
Variety,
19 May 2025
Noun
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Press play below to learn more about Wells’ treachery, and to get a sneak peek at the fugitive interacting with her latest target.—
Matt Webb Mitovich,
TVLine,
7 Apr. 2025
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Sinners is one of the great vampire movies of the modern age, mining the legend of these perpetual outsiders who desperately yearn to belong, but whose silky promises are rooted in treachery.—
Stephanie Zacharek,
Time,
29 Apr. 2025
Noun
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That includes knowing the scheme in the run game, being violent at the point of attack.—
Dan Wiederer,
Chicago Tribune,
23 May 2025
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The scheme was investigated by several federal agencies, including the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General (USPS-OIG) and IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI).—
Kelly Phillips Erb,
Forbes.com,
23 May 2025
Noun
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None of these spring explorations of sisterly deceit and self-deception has been able to surpass Apple TV+’s Bad Sisters as the recent genre peak.—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
28 May 2025
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Starring Tom Cruise, the movies are loaded with action, deceit and globe-spanning adventures – everything a good spy film should be.—
Keith Langston,
People.com,
24 May 2025
Noun
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Remember when Russia was that pesky geopolitical force who’s own constant secrecy and subterfuge brought about the downfall of its imperial ambitions?—
Harrison Richlin,
IndieWire,
8 Mar. 2025
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But this subterfuge is perhaps the very substance of the paintings.—
Zoë Hopkins,
New York Times,
2 Jan. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Artifice.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/artifice. Accessed 5 Jun. 2025.
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