gamesmanship

noun

games·​man·​ship ˈgāmz-mən-ˌship 

1

: the art or practice of winning games by questionable expedients without actually violating the rules

2

: the use of ethically dubious methods to gain an objective

Synonyms of gamesmanship

• deception
• subterfuge
• chicanery
• treachery
• deceptiveness
• trickery
• skulduggery
• artfulness
• jugglery
• secrecy
• cunning

Examples of gamesmanship in a Sentence

They blur the line between gamesmanship and cheating.

that author doesn't go in for literary gamesmanship, so the reader is never led astray by the novel's narrator

Recent Examples on the Web

Much like the character that brought him instant fame, Waltz loves the gamesmanship that comes with a villainous turn. —William Earl, Variety, 6 Feb. 2026

Coach Paul Maurice might have even engaged in a little gamesmanship, telling reporters in the morning that Marchand would remain out, only for Marchand to be in the lineup. —Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 5 Feb. 2026

Dickinson came close, but was unfortunately outdone by dastardly Internet gamesmanship. —Frederick Dreier, Outside, 30 Jan. 2026

However the New York State Constitution happily and explicitly forbids such gamesmanship and amending the state Constitution can’t be done before this year’s midterms. —New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 23 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

games, plural of game entry 1 + -manship (after sportsmanship)

Note: A word popularized and probably originated in this sense by the British author Stephen Potter (1900-69) in The Theory and Practice of Gamesmanship (1947).

First Known Use

1947, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for gamesmanship

• apostleship
• apprenticeship
• assistantship
• championship
• chancellorship
• citizenship
• companionship
• copartnership
• dictatorship
• directorship
• discipleship
• editorship