stratagem
/'strætidʤdəm/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Noun:
- A clever and often deceptive plan or scheme designed to achieve a specific goal, especially to outwit an opponent or to gain an advantage. It implies cunning, trickery, or skillful planning.
- A tactical maneuver, especially in a military context, game, or conversation. It refers to a clever move intended to gain a strategic position.
Examples of Usage
- Noun:
- The general's brilliant stratagem involved feigning a retreat to lure the enemy into a trap.
- She saw through his stratagem to get the promotion and refused to play along.
- In chess, sacrificing a pawn can be an effective stratagem to control the center of the board.
Advanced Usage
- "A stratagem of war": A specific deceptive plan used in military conflict.
- The Trojan Horse is history's most famous stratagem of war.
- "To employ/devise a stratagem": To use or create a clever and deceptive plan.
- The spy employed a complex stratagem to pass the secret documents.
Variants and Related Words
- Strategic (adj): Relating to the identification of long-term goals and the planning of actions to achieve them.
- The CEO made a strategic decision to enter the Asian market.
- Strategist (n): A person skilled in planning action or policy, especially in war, politics, or business.
- She is a talented political strategist.
Synonyms
- Ruse: A deceptive action or maneuver.
- Ploy: A cunning plan or action designed to turn a situation to one's own advantage.
- Gambit: A device, action, or opening remark, typically one entailing a degree of risk, calculated to gain an advantage.
- Subterfuge: Deceit used to achieve one's goal.
Related Phrases
- "A stratagem for success": A clever plan designed to achieve success.
- His friendly demeanor was merely a stratagem for success in the sales meeting.
Noun
- an elaborate or deceitful scheme contrived to deceive or evade
- his testimony was just a contrivance to throw us off the track
- a maneuver in a game or conversation