PLAY TRICKS

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does play tricks mean? 

• PLAY TRICKS (verb)
  The verb PLAY TRICKS has 1 sense:

1. deceive somebody

  Familiarity information: PLAY TRICKS used as a verb is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• PLAY TRICKS (verb)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Deceive somebody

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Synonyms:

flim-flam; fob; fox; play a joke on; play a trick on; play tricks; pull a fast one on; trick

Context example:

We tricked the teacher into thinking that class would be cancelled next week

Hypernyms (to "play tricks" is one way to...):

cozen; deceive; delude; lead on (be false to; be dishonest with)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "play tricks"):

snooker (fool or dupe)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s somebody

 Context examples 

Uranus is based in your partnership house, but Uranus is known to play tricks.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

Play tricks with me, and I’ll crush you.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

It is always possible that she never reached London, or that she has passed through it, but the former is improbable, as, with their system of registration, it is not easy for foreigners to play tricks with the Continental police; and the latter is also unlikely, as these rogues could not hope to find any other place where it would be as easy to keep a person under restraint.

(His Last Bow, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

I have learned caution now, and I had rather play tricks with the law of England than with my own conscience.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)