opening gambit
noun
: a first move
Their opening gambit in the negotiations was to demand a wage hike.
Examples of opening gambit in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The opening gambit is typically a pop-up window with a hack alert, followed by outreach from someone impersonating a government figure, who makes the victim think his or her money is not safe.
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Roxana Popescu, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Mar. 2026
The young man is Meursault (Benjamin Voisin), and, in flashback, the film then reveals the chain of circumstance that has led him there, starting with the death of his mother, which was Camus’ original opening gambit.
—Damon Wise, Deadline, 2 Sep. 2025
Meeting the client’s immediate needs is just the opening gambit.
—Alexander Puutio, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2025
Yes, Trump had already made certain concessions in advance, by preemptively walking back his outrageous opening gambit in the tariff war when markets rebelled against the policy.
—Ross Douthat, Mercury News, 3 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for opening gambit
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Roxana Popescu, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Mar. 2026
The young man is Meursault (Benjamin Voisin), and, in flashback, the film then reveals the chain of circumstance that has led him there, starting with the death of his mother, which was Camus’ original opening gambit.
—Damon Wise, Deadline, 2 Sep. 2025
Meeting the client’s immediate needs is just the opening gambit.
—Alexander Puutio, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2025
Yes, Trump had already made certain concessions in advance, by preemptively walking back his outrageous opening gambit in the tariff war when markets rebelled against the policy.
—Ross Douthat, Mercury News, 3 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for opening gambit
Cite this Entry
“Opening gambit.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/opening%20gambit. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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