stratagem
7
8.5
- noun
- /ˈstrætəˌdʒɛm/
:
estratagema
- If you have any clever new stratagems, you’d better try them quickly.
- other stratagems
It's the beneficiary of this clever stratagem without understanding it at all.
- It's the beneficiary of this clever stratagem without understanding it at all.
- That may be a nice sleazy political stratagem, but it is definitely not the stuff of a life well lived.
Examples
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The regime resorted to elections as a stratagem to split the opposition even more and to neutralize the "hard-liners" within the regime.
Academic text (1993) -
From what I understand, only clever tradesmen are astute enough to see through her stratagems.
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Whether this stratagem will remain effective is unclear.
Academic text (2003) -
What fool reveals his stratagem before the game is over?
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"She'd never really thought it would work, that stratagem."
Fiction book (2001) -
It's the beneficiary of this clever stratagem without understanding it at all.
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While this act seems symptomatic of panic, in fact it is a defensive stratagem.
Academic text (1996) -
I digress; using your diplomatic stratagems, I am on to something.
Blog text (26) -
In a high-stakes negotiation, the diplomat used a clever stratagem to gain an advantage over her opponents.
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The general devised a cunning stratagem that successfully misled the enemy forces.
Synonyms
516
3.0
A planned action to reach a goal
85
4.9
A clever trick used to gain an advantage in talk or negotiation
53
7.7
A clever trick to deceive someone
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
6.1
A clever trick used to avoid answering a question
7
7.4
An opening action or remark used to get an advantage and start a conversation
1
8.1
A plan made to trick people
1
5.0
A clever way to trick someone to get what you want
A plan that uses dishonest tricks to get an unfair advantage
A clever but dishonest plan to gain an advantage
How Clever
Surface Forms
Etymology
Stratagem comes from the Greek root stratos meaning 'army' and is related to the common word strategy. So, a stratagem is like a general's clever or tricky plan used to outwit an opponent.