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
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
That warning went unheeded, and Wisconsin has seen only the beginning of what an alarming shift from thoughtful, principled judicial service toward bitter partisanship, personal attacks, and political gamesmanship is that have no place in court.
—
Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Aug. 2025
And Newsom, the California Governor and not-so-subtle contender for the Democratic nomination for President next turn, has threatened through allies to respond in kind to Texas’ gamesmanship.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 4 Aug. 2025
The decision to defund the lottery, which for the much of this year has been a magnet for criticism in the Legislature on multiple fronts, was seen as legislative gamesmanship when the House in the wee hours of Friday morning passed its version of the state budget.
—John C. Moritz, Austin American Statesman, 30 July 2025
With bathroom breaks, the most infamous incident of a player being accused of gamesmanship was Murray and Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece clashing at the 2021 U.S. Open.
—Charlie Eccleshare, New York Times, 8 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for gamesmanship
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Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Aug. 2025
And Newsom, the California Governor and not-so-subtle contender for the Democratic nomination for President next turn, has threatened through allies to respond in kind to Texas’ gamesmanship.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 4 Aug. 2025
The decision to defund the lottery, which for the much of this year has been a magnet for criticism in the Legislature on multiple fronts, was seen as legislative gamesmanship when the House in the wee hours of Friday morning passed its version of the state budget.
—John C. Moritz, Austin American Statesman, 30 July 2025
With bathroom breaks, the most infamous incident of a player being accused of gamesmanship was Murray and Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece clashing at the 2021 U.S. Open.
—Charlie Eccleshare, New York Times, 8 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for gamesmanship
Cite this Entry
“Gamesmanship.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gamesmanship. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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