cunning tactic
- noun
:
táctica astuta
- The politician relied on a cunning tactic to discredit his opponent before the debate.
Examples
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The spy used a cunning tactic to gather information.
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She won the chess match using a cunning tactic that her rival never saw coming.
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Through a cunning tactic, the company managed to outmaneuver its competitors.
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She always employs cunning tactics in negotiations.
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The magician used a cunning tactic to misdirect the audience and execute his final trick.
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In order to secure the deal, the salesperson employed a cunning tactic that persuaded the customer to sign immediately.
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Her cunning tactic involved creating false data to make her project appear more impressive than it actually was.
Synonyms
85
4.9
A clever trick used to gain an advantage in talk or negotiation
53
7.7
A clever trick to deceive someone
27
4.9
To use dishonest ways to cheat people
19
9.5
A trick or excuse to hide the real reason
11
8.1
A clever trick that deceives people or hides the truth
8
9.3
Tricks people use to deceive others to get money or advantage
8
8.2
Using clever but not clearly against the rules moves to get an advantage in a game or competition
7
8.5
A clever plan to trick someone and gain an advantage
1
5.0
A clever way to trick someone to get what you want
A plan to control people by tricking them
A plan that uses dishonest tricks to get an unfair advantage
A clever or dishonest way to get something
How Cunning
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly compositional: 'cunning' (clever by deception) modifies 'tactic' (a planned action), so a learner who knows both words can infer a deceitful clever strategy. This adjective+noun pattern is straightforward and cross-linguistically common, making the phrase immediately comprehensible to a B1 learner.
Etymology
The phrase cunning tactic comes from the picture of a clever, sneaky fox using a secret plan. The word cunning means 'clever and sly' and tactic is a planned move, so this picture helps you remember it means 'a clever and deceitful strategy'.