English–French

“ruse” in French

French

Pronunciation

IPA/syptɛʁfyʒ/

Example

Il a trouvé un subterfuge pour ne pas venir au dîner.

He found a ruse to avoid coming to dinner.

Illustration for subterfuge (ruse)

How to say “ruse” in French

“Ruse” in French is subterfuge.

A cover story that lets someone slip around an obligation without stating the real reason.

Full entry for subterfuge: usage tips, similar words and word origin

Example sentences with subterfuge

Il a recouru à un subterfuge pour gagner du temps.

He resorted to a subterfuge to buy time.

Tips for using subterfuge

  • Subterfuge is fairly formal and often negative, while prétexte is generally more neutral for an alleged reason.

“ruse” in other languages