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Synonyms

subterfuge

American  
[suhb-ter-fyooj] / ˈsʌb tərˌfyudʒ /

noun

  1. an artifice or expedient used to evade a rule, escape a consequence, hide something, etc.

    Synonyms:
    ruse, dodge, trick, scheme, deception
subterfuge British  
/ ˈsʌbtəˌfjuːdʒ /

noun

  1. a stratagem employed to conceal something, evade an argument, etc

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of subterfuge

1565–75; < Late Latin subterfugium, equivalent to Latin subterfug ( ere ) to evade ( subter below + fugere to flee) + -ium -ium

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Through methods like search engine optimization and other nifty page-ranking subterfuge, this nonverified content climbs to the top of search results and people’s consciousness.

From Slate • Mar. 28, 2026

And Tehran now sees the Witkoff track as subterfuge.

From BBC • Mar. 24, 2026

As the blunt but sweet small-town police chief, Marge Gunderson, McDormand shows up only when the audience is up to their eyeballs in snowy subterfuge.

From Salon • Feb. 7, 2026

And—circling back to “Slater the Traitor”—industrial espionage is also proliferating, as individuals and nations look to gain through subterfuge.

From Barron's • Jan. 28, 2026

“Never would’ve suspected you of such subterfuge, whoever you are.”

From "I'll Give You the Sun" by Jandy Nelson

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.