subterfuge
A trick used to hide what you are really doing, or to get your own way.
subterfuge in a sentence
- The fox used subterfuge to sneak into the hen house.
- By clever subterfuge, the prisoners escaped right under the guards' noses.
Try an 11+ style question
Verbal reasoning papers often ask about a word like this.
Which word is closest in meaning to subterfuge?
- Aopenness
- Bhonesty
- Cfrankness
- Dtrickery
Show the answer
D: trickery. The other three mean the opposite of subterfuge.
Which word is most nearly opposite in meaning to subterfuge?
- Ahonesty
- Bscheme
- Cdeception
- Dtrickery
Show the answer
A: honesty. The other three mean nearly the same as subterfuge.
Words that mean something similar
trickery, deception, scheme
Words that mean the opposite
honesty, openness, frankness
More words about behaviour & manners
- succumb: To give in to something you have been fighting against.
- swagger: To walk in a proud, show-off way; or that proud way of walking.
- tactful: Careful not to upset people with what you say or do.
- tamper: To touch or change something you should not, often causing damage.
- tantrum: A sudden burst of angry, childish behaviour.
- traitor: Someone who betrays their friends, team or country.
- uncouth: Rude and bad-mannered.
- unorthodox: Unusual and different from the normal way of doing things.
More words to explore
Sitting the 11+ in Kent, Medway or Buckinghamshire?
Plain-English guides to each test, from the councils’ own pages: Kent Test · Medway Test · Bucks Secondary Transfer Test