game changer

noun

variants: or game-changer

Updated on: 18 Apr 2018

Definition of game changer

: a newly introduced element or factor that changes an existing situation or activity in a significant way

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game-changing

adjective

- a game-changing discovery

Recent Examples of game changer from the Web

He's game changer on the football field as a rush end.

— richard obert, azcentral, "Arizona high school football recruiting: Top recruits in 2020 class," 2 Apr. 2018
The latest storms to sweep across the Bay Area, Sierra Nevada and Northern California are a game changer for the snowpack, reservoir levels — and the imminent blossoming of spring across the parklands and greenbelt in the Bay Area.

— tom stienstra, San Francisco Chronicle, "Nature hits it out of the ballpark with rain, snow," 18 Mar. 2018
For smaller organizations, the donations and prize money can be a game changer, McAninch said.

— melissa fletcher stoeltje, San Antonio Express-News, "It’s Big Give time again," 18 Mar. 2018
Browse spurs and sheriff badges, paintings depicting Lewis & Clark’s expeditions, and sculptures and photographs of trailblazers and game changers spanning the last century.

— stephanie granada, Sunset, "10 Amazing Art Museums in the West," 22 Jan. 2018
Stocking soft goat cheese, feta, and Parmesan in my fridge at all times has been a game changer in terms of adding flavor with very little effort to otherwise lackluster meals.

— christine byrne, SELF, "9 Smart Cooking Tricks That Make Meal Prep So Much More More Delicious," 15 Mar. 2018
In an industry that still works with mostly waifish models, this could be a game changer.

— devorah rose, Fortune, "Commentary: AI’s Next Victim: Your Closet," 15 Mar. 2018
In addition, the report found that once women got over their initial mistrust of the medical community and got linked into care, many admitted that going to appointments with their doctors was a game changer.

— kellee terrell, The Root, "How Isolation, Stigma and Shame Are Killing Black Women Living With HIV," 13 Mar. 2018
That'd be a game changer in terms of large civil engineering projects.

— david grossman, Popular Mechanics, "How and Why Bridges Are Made to Move," 27 Feb. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'game changer.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of game changer

1993

Financial Definition of GAME CHANGER

game changer

noun

What It Is

A game changer is a person or thing that radically changes an industry or a company.

How It Works

For instance, when Apple introduced the iPod, the product was a game changer. It revolutionized the way in which music was purchased and consumed. Though other companies had already launched MP3 players, Apple's product had a more attractive design, a big marketing budget, and, most important, a music platform (iTunes) that virtually dictated how music would be distributed going forward.

Why It Matters

Game changers are disruptive. They are sometimes crazy ideas. But if they work, they can be wildly lucrative. Unfortunately, they don't come along often.

Source: Investing Answers