as in deceptions
an act that is used to fool someone
His act was just a clever ruse to get me to go out with him.
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Recent Examples of ruses
Kids will quickly see through her ruses.
—
Elise Broach, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
The New York Colored American reported that some offers of short-term work for Black men — moving livestock to or from Kentucky, for example — were ruses that ended with kidnappings.
—Equal Justice Initiative, USA Today, 6 Nov. 2025
Many suspect a spam call and don't pick up the phone, leading foundation staff to sometimes devise ruses.
—Kelly Meyerhofer, jsonline.com, 8 Oct. 2025
Episode 4 finds both Ellen and Julia throwing themselves headlong into plans that require them to keep up major ruses.
—Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 22 Aug. 2025
Elise Broach, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
The New York Colored American reported that some offers of short-term work for Black men — moving livestock to or from Kentucky, for example — were ruses that ended with kidnappings.
—Equal Justice Initiative, USA Today, 6 Nov. 2025
Many suspect a spam call and don't pick up the phone, leading foundation staff to sometimes devise ruses.
—Kelly Meyerhofer, jsonline.com, 8 Oct. 2025
Episode 4 finds both Ellen and Julia throwing themselves headlong into plans that require them to keep up major ruses.
—Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 22 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ruses
Noun
-
And compared to some of Fleury’s past pranks on teammates, a few misplaced letters on a nameplate would be relatively light.—
Jess Myers,
Twin Cities,
15 Apr. 2026
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Of course, the pranks are all in good fun, with owners keeping things safe and playful.—
Kendall Malinchock,
USA Today,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Davis occasionally destabilizes this very familiar soundtrack with sly production tricks from Horne.—
Emma Madden,
Pitchfork,
28 Apr. 2026
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However, deer are adaptable creatures and often get used to the tricks put in their path, eventually ignoring attempts to deter them, Walke says.—
SJ McShane,
Martha Stewart,
26 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ruses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ruses. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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