Meaning & use

stratagem

noun·Advanced

A carefully planned trick or scheme intended to outwit an opponent or achieve an aim.

See it in a sentence

The general devised a clever stratagem to lure the enemy into a trap.

Offering a discount was just a stratagem to clear out old inventory quickly.

A note on using this word

Stratagem implies cleverness or deception, whereas plan or strategy can be neutral and straightforward.

Words with a similar meaning

schemetactic

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

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