dirty tricks

plural noun

: underhanded stratagems for obtaining secret information about or sabotaging an enemy or for discrediting an opponent (as in politics)
dirty trickster noun

Examples of dirty tricks in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
As with any election, however, there are dirty tricks afoot. Damon Wise, Deadline, 22 Oct. 2024 False information and other dirty tricks aimed at discouraging people from going to the polls is nothing new. Dan De Luce, NBC News, 22 Oct. 2024 Transactional relationships abound, along with shifting alliances, dirty tricks and lusty proclivities against a backdrop of new money and old. Nina Metz, Chicago Tribune, 17 Oct. 2024 Whereas Parnas got swept up in conspiracy theories and political dirty tricks and disinformation, Biden wrote his memoirs about his battle with addiction, which led him to thank Parnas during their meeting for making amends as if working a 12-step program. Philip Elliott, TIME, 7 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for dirty tricks 

Word History

First Known Use

1963, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of dirty tricks was in 1963

Dictionary Entries Near dirty tricks

Cite this Entry

“Dirty tricks.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dirty%20tricks. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on dirty tricks

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!