Noun

(countable) An indirect or deceptive device or stratagem; a blind. Refers especially to war and politics.

Overt subterfuge in a region nearly caused a minor accident.

* 2010 , (Clare Vanderpool), (Moon Over Manifest)

How’s the spy hunt going? Uncovered any subterfuge ?

*{{quote-magazine, date=2012-03

, author=William E. Carter, Merri Sue Carter , title=The British Longitude Act Reconsidered , volume=100, issue=2, page=87 , magazine=(American Scientist) citation , passage=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.}}

(uncountable) Deception; misrepresentation of the true nature of an activity.

Noun

(en noun)

Deviation from what is right or correct; transgression, perversion.

Evasion of the truth; deceit, evasiveness.

Prevarication became the order of the day in his government while truth was a stranger in those halls.

* Cowper

The august tribunal of the skies, where no prevarication shall avail.

* 2012 , The Economist, Oct 6th 2012, Charlemagne: Mysterious Mariano

Mr Rajoy frustrates many with his prevarication over a fresh euro-zone bail-out, which now comes with a conditional promise from the European Central Bank (ECB) to help bring down Spain’s stifling borrowing costs.

A secret abuse in the exercise of a public office.

(legal, historical, Ancient Rome) The collusion of an informer with the defendant, for the purpose of making a sham prosecution.

(legal) A false or deceitful seeming to undertake a thing for the purpose of defeating or destroying it.

(Cowell)

(Webster 1913)