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 Propst had everyone fooled for his first game in his home state since resigning from Hoover in 2007, and his opening gambit was almost enough against one of the state’s most talented up-and-coming coaches. Joseph Goodman | Jgoodman@al.com, al, 26 Aug. 2023 House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has laid out an opening gambit in what is likely to be a lengthy battle over the debt ceiling, suggesting that Republicans are open to a deal – but at a very high price. Bryan Keogh, The Conversation, 19 Apr. 2023 Because Edelman’s opening gambit reveals itself to be cannily constructed. Vulture, 27 June 2023 Riyadh has also listed a series of high-stake demands, including U.S. help in developing nuclear power, but U.S. officials see that as an opening gambit. Tracy Wilkinson, Los Angeles Times, 13 June 2023 Advertisement Some of his advice was reflected in the Limit, Save, Grow Act passed by the House in April as an opening gambit in debt ceiling negotiations. John Wagner, Washington Post, 7 June 2023 The Limit, Save, Grow Act is an opening gambit, not part of the endgame. Matthew Continetti, National Review, 29 Apr. 2023 The anxiety for Judd comes about in a somewhat symbolic way, at first, starting with the very practical matter of the artist having difficulty with the opening gambit of the tour. Chris Willman, Variety, 29 Apr. 2023 That wasn’t the strong opening gambit that New England needed to start the second half. Christopher Price, BostonGlobe.com, 18 Dec. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'opening gambit.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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Cite this Entry

“Opening gambit.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/opening%20gambit. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

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