bag of tricks

Idioms  

1. One's stock of resources and stratagems, as in Mom can fix anything—you never know what she will pull out of her bag of tricks. Alluding to the magician's bag of equipment for performing magic tricks, this term was first recorded in 1694, when Jean de La Fontaine, in one of his fables, has a fox carry a sac des ruses (“bag of tricks”).

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Example Sentences

“Just as many didn’t know the U.S. had all these tools for economic coercion, China is now saying, ‘look, we’ve prepared a bag of tricks too,’” said Damien Ma, director of research center Carnegie China.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 5, 2026

American legend Shaun White may have retired but there will still be plenty of gasp-inducing acrobatics as riders drop into the pipe to show off their bag of tricks.

From BBC • Feb. 2, 2026

So, the 26-year-old Japanese star dug deeper into his bag of tricks.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 18, 2025

Gimmickry only goes so far for so long, especially when drawn from the same sling bag of tricks.

From Salon • Apr. 10, 2025

I go up into my bedroom, dump out my bag of tricks.

From "X: A Novel" by Ilyasah Shabazz