noun
subterfuge
SUHB-tuhr-fyoozh
noun
1
A trick or deceptive scheme used to avoid something or achieve a hidden goal.
"He resorted to subterfuge to avoid answering the committee's questions."
"The spy used subterfuge to slip past the guards unnoticed."
How to Use Subterfuge
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishSneaky trickery used to dodge a problem or hide the truth.
When to use it
A fairly formal, literary word — everyday speech would more likely say "trick" or "deception."
Common pairings
resort to subterfuge
political subterfuge
through subterfuge
Word Forms
subterfuges plural
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Etymology
From Middle French subterfuge, from Medieval Latin subterfugium, from Latin subterfugere ("to flee secretly"), from subter ("under, secretly") plus fugere ("to flee").