dirty tricks: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
Intermediate (B2)Informal, often journalistic or colloquial. Carries a negative, condemnatory tone.
Quick answer
What does “dirty tricks” mean?
Deceitful, underhanded, or unethical actions, especially in politics or competition, intended to gain an advantage by sabotaging, misleading, or damaging an opponent.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
Deceitful, underhanded, or unethical actions, especially in politics or competition, intended to gain an advantage by sabotaging, misleading, or damaging an opponent.
Can refer to any set of dishonest or morally questionable tactics employed in various contexts (business, sports, personal rivalries) to undermine someone else unfairly. The phrase strongly implies a conscious, cynical disregard for fair play.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Usage is virtually identical in meaning and frequency. The concept is central to both UK and US political discourse.
Connotations
Strongly associated with political smear campaigns, espionage, leaking false information, and character assassination. In business, may connote industrial espionage or spreading malicious rumors.
Frequency
Common in news media during elections or major competitive scandals.
Grammar
How to Use “dirty tricks” in a Sentence
[Subject] + employed/used + dirty tricks + [against Target]A + campaign/series + of + dirty tricksDirty tricks + were + used + to + [Infinitive]Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “dirty tricks” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The tabloids were accused of dirty-tricks journalism during the royal saga.
- He denied ever dirty-tricking his opponents.
American English
- The PAC specializes in dirty-tricking candidates with last-minute ad blitzes.
- They dirty-tricked their way to the nomination.
adverb
British English
- The team played dirty-tricks to secure the contract.
- He fought dirty-tricks throughout the internal party election.
American English
- They operated dirty-tricks, focusing on personal scandals.
- The competition was won dirty-tricks, according to the losers.
adjective
British English
- The by-election was marred by dirty-tricks campaigning.
- They ran a dirty-tricks operation from a discreet office.
American English
- The senator was a victim of a dirty-tricks plot.
- A dirty-tricks manual was discovered in the campaign HQ.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Refers to unethical competitive practices like stealing clients through deception or spreading false rumors about a rival's product.
Academic
Used in political science, sociology, or ethics discussions to analyze corrupt or manipulative strategies in power struggles.
Everyday
Can describe cheating in a game, underhanded behavior in a personal dispute, or unfair office politics.
Technical
In intelligence/military contexts, may refer to specific 'active measures' or deception operations.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “dirty tricks”
Strong
Neutral
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “dirty tricks”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “dirty tricks”
- Using it in the singular ('a dirty trick') – while possible, it's far less common and changes the meaning to a single act rather than a strategy.
- Confusing with 'dirty work' (unpleasant but not necessarily deceitful tasks).
- Misspelling as 'dirty tracks'.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, while strongly associated with politics, it can apply to any competitive sphere like business, sports, or even personal relationships where underhanded methods are used.
'Strategic' implies clever planning within accepted rules or ethics. 'Dirty tricks' explicitly crosses ethical or legal boundaries, involving deception, sabotage, or dishonesty.
Rarely. Its connotations are overwhelmingly negative. It might be used in a lightly self-deprecating way (e.g., 'I had to resort to a few dirty tricks to win the board game'), but even then, it admits to improper conduct.
A figurative or sometimes literal term for a covert unit within an organization (political party, corporation, intelligence agency) tasked with conducting underhanded operations against rivals.
Deceitful, underhanded, or unethical actions, especially in politics or competition, intended to gain an advantage by sabotaging, misleading, or damaging an opponent.
Dirty tricks is usually informal, often journalistic or colloquial. carries a negative, condemnatory tone. in register.
Dirty tricks: in British English it is pronounced /ˈdɜːti trɪks/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈdɝːti trɪks/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “play dirty”
- “fight dirty”
- “no holds barred (related concept)”
- “win at all costs (related concept)”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a politician literally throwing mud (dirt) while hiding a playing card (trick) up their sleeve.
Conceptual Metaphor
POLITICS/WAR IS A DIRTY GAME. Competition is framed as an arena where moral cleanliness is sacrificed for victory.
Practice
Quiz
In which context is the phrase 'dirty tricks' LEAST likely to be used appropriately?