sleight of hand

American  

noun

1. skill in feats requiring quick and clever movements of the hands, especially for entertainment or deception, as jugglery, card or coin magic, etc.; legerdemain.

2. the performance of such feats.

3. a feat of legerdemain.

4. skill in deception.

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sleight of hand British  

noun

1. manual dexterity used in performing conjuring tricks

2. the performance of such tricks

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sleight of hand Idioms  

1. Trickery, deviousness, as in By some sleight of hand they managed to overlook all bonuses. This term alludes to the performance of magic tricks with the hands. Its figurative use dates from about 1700.

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Usage

What does sleight of hand mean? Sleight of hand means skill using one’s hands in quick and clever ways to perform tricks or to be deceptive. It can also refer to the performance of such tricks or a specific instance of it, as in Never have I seen a more impressive sleight of hand. In sleight of hand, the word sleight means skill or dexterity. By itself, it can also mean trickery or cunning, or a specific trick or scheme. It’s by far most commonly used in sleight of hand. Sleight of hand can also mean general trickery or skill at deception. It’s associated not only with coin and card tricks that require skillful hand movements, but also with deceptive ways of stealing, such as pickpocketing. Sleight of hand is frequently used in more figurative ways to criticize actions or words as deceptive, as in His comment is a clever sleight of hand intended to distract us from the real issue. It can also be used to compare something to a magic trick, as in Her literary sleight of hand is dazzling. Example: The illusionist spent years perfecting his sleight of hand so that it was undetectable even at close range.

Etymology

Origin of sleight of hand

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400

Example Sentences

This sleight of hand directly undermines the intended safeguards in federal law.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 12, 2026

The dialogue is naturally digressive, sliding in just as much exposition as needed with a magician’s sleight of hand.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 22, 2025

But that narrative is also a sleight of hand.

From Salon • Sep. 11, 2025

But, as Kagan exposed, this was a rhetorical sleight of hand.

From Slate • May 15, 2025

Hazel passed a diamond between her fingers in a sleight of hand.

From "The House of Hades" by Rick Riordan

Related Words

• chicanery
• deception
• trickery