1
as in ruse
a clever often underhanded means to achieve an end
that free dinner is just a sales gimmick to get you to listen to their sales pitch
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2
as in gadget
an interesting and often novel device with a practical use
a car equipped with a parking spot locator and other neat gimmicks
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3
as in hitch
a danger or difficulty that is hidden or not easily recognized
the deal sounds too good to be true, so make sure there aren't any gimmicks
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of gimmick
In his first term, Trump pursued an array of gimmicks to try to undermine the rules.
—
Peter Elkind, ProPublica, 11 Apr. 2025
Editors’ Picks My Strange Saga of Dating While Pregnant
The reviews of the gimmick from spending hawks have been scathing.
—Catie Edmondson, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2025
The daytime setting undermined their gimmicks, and Wyatt's early ankle injury hampered his performance, leading to a slow, unengaging match that failed to live up to the intriguing potential of the pairing.
—Gordon G. Chang, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Apr. 2025
Those on the right-flank have sounded off on the Senate’s use of the budgetary gimmick known as current policy baseline to permanently extend Trump’s 2017 tax cuts.
—Mychael Schnell, The Hill, 9 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gimmick
Peter Elkind, ProPublica, 11 Apr. 2025
Editors’ Picks My Strange Saga of Dating While Pregnant
The reviews of the gimmick from spending hawks have been scathing.
—Catie Edmondson, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2025
The daytime setting undermined their gimmicks, and Wyatt's early ankle injury hampered his performance, leading to a slow, unengaging match that failed to live up to the intriguing potential of the pairing.
—Gordon G. Chang, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Apr. 2025
Those on the right-flank have sounded off on the Senate’s use of the budgetary gimmick known as current policy baseline to permanently extend Trump’s 2017 tax cuts.
—Mychael Schnell, The Hill, 9 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gimmick
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gimmick
Noun
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Vulture Parent Puppet The puppet ruse is designed to prevent the baby from imprinting on humans.—
Amanda Kooser,
Forbes.com,
30 Apr. 2025
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Those ruses have spurred restrictive voting laws across the country, despite the failure over the years of anybody finding fraud happening beyond small and rare instances — and certainly not at the scale of deciding major elections.—
Michael Smolens,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Avoid piling clothes, gadgets or paperwork around your bed.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
25 Apr. 2025
-
Mainstream gadgets getting elusive Even people with broader, more mainstream tech interests see tariffs impacting their options.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
25 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The proposal goes off without a hitch as the two boys watch on.—
Angela Andaloro,
People.com,
25 Apr. 2025
-
Her feed cut out a few times during the song's first verse, then continued without a hitch through the chorus.—
Wesley Stenzel,
EW.com,
19 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The project looks at the 1980s rise and fall of Joe Hunt and young and wealthy men who made up an exclusive investment group who descended into a fraud scheme that led to murder.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
1 May 2025
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Los Angeles doubled down on a defensive scheme that largely left Gobert unattended in an effort to account for Anthony Edwards.—
Jace Frederick,
Twin Cities,
1 May 2025
Noun
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An assignment in my class asked students to engage one of the new A.I. tools in a conversation about the history of attention.—
D. Graham Burnett,
New Yorker,
26 Apr. 2025
-
Short passwords — think six or eight characters — can be cracked in minutes by modern hacking tools.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
26 Apr. 2025
Noun
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There also is a bit of a risk as to how MSNBC will fare on its own.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
5 May 2025
-
Water risk is fast becoming an existential threat to the apparel industry.—
Ken Katz,
Sourcing Journal,
5 May 2025
Noun
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The trick is to find multiple locations that are close enough together and decide on a menu that feels cohesive.—
Lisa Cericola,
Southern Living,
3 May 2025
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The trick will be whether the Bruins are paying for a career year or reliable future performance.—
Fluto Shinzawa,
New York Times,
2 May 2025
Noun
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Acton Academy’s growth to over 300 schools showcases the potential for replication but also highlights the pitfalls of decentralized management.—
Ray Ravaglia,
Forbes.com,
24 Apr. 2025
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Right off the bat, Expedition 33 avoids the common pitfall of assigning moves to magic point (MP) values; In most JRPGs, special attacks typically consume MP, and running out means characters are relegated to just doing normal attacks, which can make battles feel dry or lopsided.—
George Yang,
Rolling Stone,
23 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Gimmick.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gimmick. Accessed 10 May. 2025.
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