feints

Deceptive combat moves

Feints are deceptive movements intended to draw an opponent's attention away from the real attack.

In boxing, a fighter feints with the left to create an opening for the right.

The term extends beyond combat: diplomatic feints, feints toward compromise.

A feint misleads without fully committing—it's a fake-out, not a lie.

deception

fake

Not the real thing

  • bluffCalculated false front
  • ruseDeliberate act of deception
  • decoyFalse target for misdirection

misdirection · subterfuge · trickery · guile · sham · artifice · sleight · duplicity · dissemble · hoodwink

sports

juke

Deceptive athletic sidestep

pivot · jink · cutback · dodge · sidestep · screen · pump-fake · shimmy · hesitation · no-look

tactics

diversion

Redirection of attention

  • decoyFalse target for misdirection
  • distractionThing diverting one's attention
  • ambushSurprise strike from concealment

flanking · misdirection · maneuver · stratagem · ploy · ruse · bait · trap · lure · setup

combat

parry

Defensive blade deflection

  • lungeSudden forward movement
  • jabQuick, straight blow
  • thrustForceful forward motion

riposte · dodge · sidestep · footwork · engagement · disengage · attack · counter · blade · saber

boxing

jab

Quick, straight blow

  • hookCurved catching device
  • uppercutAscending boxing strike
  • slipMinor error or misstep

bob · weave · combination · counterpunch · setup · telegraph · pawing · flicker · measuring · bait

Categories
Opposites
tactical commitment

feintsfinishing moves

Fight-ending signature techniques

haymakers · lunges · charges · thrusts

commitment level

feintsfollow-throughs

Post-contact motion extensions

Phrases
Family

feint, feinting, feinted

Familiarity
Top 200,000
Profile
Used worldwide · Timeless · Everyday, not technical · Rated G