trick question
A question that attempts to elicit an answer in a certain way, usually incorrectly (i.e. that seems to have an obvious answer that is however incorrect), or a question that does not have a correct answer or that hides the real question or some difficulty.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“Is that a trick question or are you serious?”
“I thought the answer was obvious, but then I realized it was a trick question designed to confuse me.”
“The professor posed a subtle trick question, intentionally leading the students toward a logical fallacy to test their critical thinking skills.”
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bag of tricks
A set of skills, techniques, items of information, or other resources used to help achieve professional or personal goals.
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burning question
An important and pertinent question that urgently requires an answer.
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do the trick
To work; to be successful; to solve a problem; to be sufficient or adequate to fulfill a purpose.
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how's tricks
Informal greeting roughly equivalent to How are you? or How's it going?
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Jedi mind trick
A mental feat such as apparently inducing someone to act a certain way or reading someone's mind, achieved as if by magic or telepathy.
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know every trick in the book
To know all there is to be known about a certain discipline.
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out of the question
Not remotely possible.
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penny-come-quick
[Cockney slang]a trick
Last updated August 10, 2026