MEANING
A cleverly planned action intended to gain an advantage, often by outwitting someone.
Use it for
a plan designed to outmanoeuvre an opponent; an indirect tactic rather than a straightforward appeal
Words that belong together
- ingenious stratagem
- political stratagem
On the page
The delayed reply was a stratagem to make the other side reveal its urgency.
Nearby words
Word forms
- Base
- stratagem
Usage notes
Primary category: literary / elevated general. Forms: Singular stratagem; plural stratagems. Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Established modern English lexical item. No separate regional spelling or grammatical inflection entry. Commonness: moderately common.
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