noun

stratagem

STRAT-uh-jum/ˈstrætədʒəm/

A clever plan for gaining an advantage.

The soldiers use a hollow wooden horse as a stratagem for victory.

A wooden Trojan horse is pulled toward a city gate while a cutaway reveals armed men concealed inside: an apparently harmless offering hides an attack.

Etymology

stratagemGreekact of a general; military trick

The Greek word meant an act of a general, particularly a military trick. That connection survives in the modern sense: a clever maneuver intended to outwit an opponent, whether in war or elsewhere.

In context

Kings and Generals100:36

Back at St. Augustine, Moore attempted a stratagem of subterfuge to make himself master of the fort on December 14th.

War of the Spanish Succession: All Battles and Events - FULL DOCUMENTARY

More examples

Her opening offer is a stratagem to learn the seller's lowest price.
The coach's stratagem draws defenders away from the team's best shooter.
His elaborate stratagems fail when his opponent refuses to react.

Forms

stratagem · stratagems

strategist noun — Someone who develops plans to achieve goals.

Similar words

ruse: Specifically involves deception, while a stratagem need not.
tactic: A specific method or action, not necessarily a clever plan.
strategy: Usually an overall plan rather than one clever maneuver.