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 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 Still employing Cohn’s old dirty tricks, Trump frequently vows legal retribution, and frequently fails to follow through, or else sees his efforts tossed out of court. Dominic Patten, Deadline, 31 Aug. 2024 This reporting put Trojans for Representative Government in the national spotlight as Americans learned about how its dirty tricks had set the table for the Watergate scandal. Jonathan Van Harmelen / Made By History, TIME, 8 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for dirty tricks 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'dirty tricks.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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 31 Oct. 2024.

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