Bit of deception
The crossword clue "Bit of deception" is answered by RUSE, a 4-letter entry. Used 8 times across 8 distinct years; most recently in 2025; first recorded in 2009. It appears in 6 publications in the xd corpus. Every figure on this page comes from the collection data itself, never from a guess.
The answer
RUSE
4 letters. See every clue for this answer on the RUSE answer page.
Used 8 times across 8 distinct years; most recently in 2025; first recorded in 2009. It appears in 6 publications in the xd corpus. Frequency and last-seen figures come from the xd crossword corpus only.
Other answers for this clue
The same clue has also been answered these ways in the xd corpus. Answers inside this collection link to their own answer page.
Other clues for RUSE
Every other clue in this collection answered by RUSE, most used first.
- Trick - used 184 times, most recently in 2026
- Stratagem - used 74 times, most recently in 2026
- Ploy - used 63 times, most recently in 2026
- Subterfuge - used 54 times, most recently in 2026
- Artifice - used 41 times, most recently in 2020
- Deception - used 27 times, most recently in 2026
- Artful dodge - used 25 times, most recently in 2023
- Sneaky scheme - used 25 times, most recently in 2026
- Trojan horse, e.g. - used 19 times, most recently in 2015
- Sneaky trick - used 16 times, most recently in 2026
- Bit of trickery - used 14 times, most recently in 2026
- Deceptive ploy - used 13 times, most recently in 2026
- Dodge - used 13 times, most recently in 2018
- Bit of chicanery - used 12 times, most recently in 2026
- Deceptive plan - used 12 times, most recently in 2023
- Scheme - used 11 times, most recently in 2026
- Crafty move - used 10 times, most recently in 2013
- Sly tactic - used 10 times, most recently in 2015
- Deceptive tactic - used 9 times, most recently in 2024
- Pretext - used 9 times, most recently in 2025
- Red herring - used 9 times, most recently in 2018
- Bit of subterfuge - used 8 times, most recently in 2020
- Con - used 8 times, most recently in 2022
- Hoax - used 8 times, most recently in 2023
- Sneaky ploy - used 8 times, most recently in 2026
- Deceptive scheme - used 7 times, most recently in 2025
- Sneaky plan - used 7 times, most recently in 2024
- Sneaky tactic - used 7 times, most recently in 2025
- Confidence trick - used 6 times, most recently in 2007
- Crafty stratagem - used 6 times, most recently in 2016
- Slick trick - used 6 times, most recently in 2026
- Wily trick - used 6 times, most recently in 2021
Related clues
Clues in this collection of the same answer length that share a word with this clue, or match its answer pattern when no word is shared. Most used first.
- Tiny bit - IOTA, used 286 times
- Teeny bit - IOTA, used 93 times
- Open a bit - AJAR, used 84 times
- Bit - IOTA, used 80 times
- Wee bit - IOTA, used 79 times
- Little bit - IOTA, used 76 times
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