Headway Word of the Week
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trick
If you trick someone, you make them believe something that is not true.
- You've been tricked. John isn't a famous pop star. He just told
you that.
A trick is something you do to deceive someone. You could do it to entertain,
annoy or take unfair advantage of someone.
- The magician performed a trick with a pack of cards. It was brilliant.
- That was a terrible trick to play on grandmother. She really thought
you were a ghost.
- David got fired because of what you told the boss. That was a really dirty
trick.
A trick can also be a special way of doing something.
- There's a trick to opening this umbrella - you press the button
and and push it up really slowly.
Check out collocations
Adjective and noun
- a dirty trick
- a cruel trick
- an old trick
Verb and noun
- do / perform a magic trick
- play a trick on someone
Verb and preposition
- trick someone into doing something
She tricked me into thinking it was Monday, when in fact it
was Sunday. I was halfway to work before I realized.
- trick someone out of something
He tricked me out of £10,000. I was so upset.
Check out expressions
- That did the trick!
( = That solved the problem)
- Do you have a trick up your sleeve?
( = Do you have an idea about how to solve this problem?)
- She never misses a trick.
( = She's very sharp. She notices everything that is happening)
- I can teach him a trick or two.
( = He's new to this job/situation. I know more than him)
- He'll have to learn the tricks of the trade.
( = He'll have to learn how to do the job)
- She's tried every trick in the book.
( = She's used every possible method to try to solve a problem)
- He's up to his old tricks.
( = He's doing the bad things he always does)
- How's tricks?
( = How are you? How are things?)
- You can't teach an old dog new tricks.
( = It's harder for older people to adapt to new things)
Check out adjectives
- a trick question
( = It seems easy, but it isn't)
- a tricky question
( = It is difficult)
- a tricky situation
( = It is difficult to get out of)
- a tricky person
( = difficult to deal with)
Check out other related words
- deception
- deceive
- con
- mislead
- illusion
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