Thesaurus results for ARTIFICES

artifices

noun

plural of artifice

as in ruses

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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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of artifices Portman actually released no statement, and many critics noted that Cusk’s novel is more of an intentionally disorienting examination of the artifices of self and celebrity than a tell-all roman à clef. — René Ostberg, Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Sep. 2026 Laura Owens pleaded guilty to several criminal counts, including fraudulent schemes and artifices, taking the identity of another, and perjury. — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Aug. 2026 Jean-Luc Godard used nonprofessionals to rend the dramatic fabric and expose the artifices of performance. — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 25 Feb. 2026 Owens was initially indicted on one count of fraudulent schemes and artifices, one count of forgery, four counts of perjury and one count of tampering with physical evidence earlier this year. — Jenna Sundel, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Nov. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for artifices

Noun

There’s a delightful secret history of Hollywood directors whose ruses and stratagems bought them an unusual amount of leeway with their scripts.

— Richard Brody, New Yorker, 5 Aug. 2026
Even before pro-party AI ruses were possible, the Chinese government and its supporters flooded social media with pro-China propaganda and vicious attacks on critics.

— Michael Schuman, The Atlantic, 7 July 2026

Definition of ruses

Noun

Spoelstra finished tied with Houston’s Ime Udoka with the second-most votes (10%) as the head coach who has the best defensive schemes.

— Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 15 Oct. 2026
While both players moved around sometimes in their respective schemes, Shipp and Glasker do most of their damage as outside receivers.

— Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of schemes

Noun

Every transformer on the grid—from the cylinders perched on utility lines to the big spiky devices at substations—trades voltage for current at a fixed ratio.

— Alex Pasternack, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
Within a day, the researcher began seeing active scanning of the simulated Plex server and eventually successful attempts to infect devices.

— Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of devices

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artificers

artifices

artificial

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“Artifices.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/artifices. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of artifices

noun

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