ruse

Vocabulary Word

Definition

'Ruse' refers to an action or plan designed to deceive someone, to trick them into believing or doing something. It's not a simple prank, but forms part of a bone-fide strategy or technique.

Examples in Different Contexts

In social campaigns, a 'ruse' might be used by opposing groups to distract from the main issue. An activist could say, 'Their announcement was just a ruse to divert attention from their actions.'

Practice Scenarios

Tech

Scenario:

We've observed a spike in emails urging staff to reset their passwords. It seems like we have a potential security issue.

Response:

It sounds like a ruse to me. We should warn employees not to respond to these emails.

Public-Policy

Scenario:

The mayor's sudden switch to a controversial topic during his speech seemed strategic. Do you think we should investigate further into this?

Response:

Likely a ruse to distract the public from the recent poll numbers. We should dig deeper into this.