The word "耍花招" is formed by combining the verb 耍 (shuǎ), meaning "to play" or "to wield", with the noun phrase 花招 (huāzhāo), where 花 (huā) carries a metaphorical sense of "flashy" or "deceptive" and 招 (zhāo) means "trick" or "move"; this creates a verb-object structure that literally means "to play deceptive tricks" and conveys the act of employing deceitful or cunning tactics.