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

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subterfuge British  

/ ˈsʌbtəˌfjuːdʒ /

noun

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

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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

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

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

“The Baron of Wall Street” proclaims that Dillon—not alone in his era—enriched himself through “chicanery, subterfuge, and graft.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 21, 2025

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

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

Related Words

• deception
• ploy
• ruse
• sham
• stratagem