GamesDaily CrosswordWord PuzzleWord FinderAll gamesFeaturedWord of the DayWord of the YearNew wordsLanguage storiesAll featuredCultureSlangEmojiMemesAcronymsGender and sexualityAll cultureWriting tipsWriting hubGrammar essentialsCommonly confusedAll writing tipsGamesFeaturedCultureWriting tipsAdvertisementSkip toSkip toruse1noun (1)Ruse2noun (1)AdvertisementView synonyms for AmericanBritishruse1[rooz]Phonetic (Standard)IPAnouna trick, stratagem, or artifice.Ruse2[roo-sey]Phonetic (Standard)IPAnouna city in N Bulgaria, on the Danube.Ruse1/ ˈruːseɪ /nouna city in NE Bulgaria, on the River Danube: the chief river port and one of the largest industrial centres in Bulgaria. Pop: 172 000 (2005 est)“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012ruse2/ ruːz /nounan action intended to mislead, deceive, or trick; stratagem“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012Discover MoreWord History and OriginsOrigin of Ruse11375–1425; late Middle English (noun use of obsolete rusen to detour) < Middle French, derivative of ruser to retreat. See Discover MoreWord History and OriginsOrigin of Ruse1C15: from Old French: trick, esp to evade capture, from ruser to retreat, from Latin recūsāre to refuseDiscover MoreSynonym StudySee .Discover MoreExample SentencesExamples have not been reviewed.But it was just a ruse - according to the account delivered by the Pentagon - a decoy to distract from the top-secret flights heading straight for Iran over the Atlantic.From The cut on Amy’s finger was a ruse — a desperate act to access care.From The former president alleged that the investigation into his mental acuity and use of an autopen was a ruse to distract from the "disastrous legislation" Republicans hope to push through Congress.From But the assault is really a strategic ruse.From That demonic glint in her eye isn’t a ruse.From AdvertisementDiscover MoreRelated Words AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementBrowse#aabbccddeeffgghhiijjkkllmmnnooppqqrrssttuuvvwwxxyyzzContact usDo not sell my infoFollow usGet the Word of the Day every day!Sign upBy clicking "Sign Up", you are accepting Dictionary.com © 2025 Dictionary.com, LLC, The meaning of RUSE is a wily subterfuge. How to use ruse in a sentence. Synonym Discussion of Ruse., A ruse was to cheat at the medical by sending a person who looked healthy, or by manipulating blood pressure. From the Cambridge English Corpus A denial of the clock, of being professionally on-time or amateurishly late, is a disingenuous ruse ..