Synonyms for wile

These nouns denote means for achieving an end by indirection or deviousness. Wile suggests deceiving and entrapping a victim by playing on his or her weak points: “He did not fail to see/His uncle's cunning wiles and treachery” (William Morris).
Artifice refers to something especially contrived to create a desired effect: “Should the public forgive artifices used to avoid military service?” (Godfrey Sperling).
Trick implies willful deception: “The … boys … had all sorts of tricks to prevent us from winning” (W.H. Hudson).
Ruse stresses the creation of a false impression: Your pretended deafness was a ruse to enable you to learn our plans, wasn't it?
Feint denotes a deceptive act calculated to distract attention from one's real purpose: One person bumped into me as a feint while the other stole my wallet.
Stratagem implies carefully planned deception used to achieve an objective: The manager used ruthless stratagems to win the promotion.
Maneuver often applies to a single strategic move: “To this day they always speak of that Reform Bill as if it had been a dishonest maneuver” (The Standard).
Dodge stresses shifty and ingenious deception: “‘It was all false, of course?’ ‘All, sir,’ replied Mr. Weller, ‘ … artful dodge’” (Charles Dickens).