subterfuge

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French subterfuge, from Medieval Latin subterfugium, from Latin subterfugiō (“I flee secretly”), from subter (“under”) and fugiō (“I flee”).

noun

1. (countable) An indirect or deceptive device or stratagem; a blind. Refers especially to war and diplomatics.
   Overt subterfuge in a region nearly caused a minor accident.
   How’s the spy hunt going? Uncovered any subterfuge? 2010, Clare Vanderpool, Moon Over Manifest, →OCLC
   But was it responsible governance to pass the Longitude Act without other efforts to protect British seamen? Or might it have been subterfuge—a disingenuous attempt to shift attention away from the realities of their life at sea. 2012-03, William E. Carter, Merri Sue Carter, “The British Longitude Act Reconsidered”, in American Scientist, volume 100, number 2, Sigma Xi, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2012-02-20, page 87
2. (uncountable) Deception; misrepresentation of the true nature of an activity.
   I have been critical of the RDG in the past for merely being a cypher for government announcements, but the failure of its members to make a stand on this issue and not be complicit in the Government's subterfuge is a shocking indictment of their failure to protect the industry. July 26 2023, Christian Wolmar, “Closing ticket offices to lead to 'catch-22' for passengers”, in RAIL, number 988, page 42