Gish gallop
noun
a debate strategy involving the overwhelming use of false arguments
What does Gish gallop mean?
Gish gallop (sometimes gish gallop or Gish/gish galloping) refers to a rhetorical technique or strategy by which a debater puts forth too many false arguments for their opponent to be able to refute in the allotted amount of time.
Examples of Gish gallop
It reminds me of something from debate: a move called the Gish gallop where somebody just throws a whole bunch of bullshit at the wall and then their opponents end up getting caught up in disputing each one.
—Nicholas Grossman, The New Republic, 20 Aug. 2025
… a textbook example of what’s come to be known in science communication circles as the “gish gallop,” wherein anti-science promoters attempt to overwhelm you with a fire hose of plausible-sounding but fundamentally false claims and talking points.
—… the rhetorical tactic known as the Gish gallop or shotgun argument, which presents as many arguments as possible without regard to their validity or relevancy. The point is not to win a debate by making a cogent case, but to overwhelm opponents and tire them out.
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Where does Gish gallop come from?
Gish gallop was coined by American physical anthropologist Eugenie C. Scott in 1994, referencing a rhetorical strategy often employed by creationist Duane Gish in debates about evolution.
How is Gish gallop used?
Gish gallop is most often used as a noun preceded by the word the, but occasionally is used as a verb, as in “they gish galloped through the entire debate.” It is often invoked in the contexts of political and scientific debates.
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