gambit

noun

ˈgam-bət How to pronounce gambit (audio)
Definition of gambitnext
as in ruse
a clever often underhanded means to achieve an end The seemingly benign questioning was all just a gambit to get them to fess up to their wrongdoing.

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of gambit The gambit almost succeeded as five House Republicans voted against bringing the socialism resolution to the floor. — Washington Examiner Staff, The Washington Examiner, 1 Sep. 2026 Beijing's response casts doubt on whether Washington’s new gambit can deliver results. — Hamidreza Azizi, Time, 29 Aug. 2026 But Bernard’s move is a gambit, meant to create a distraction while the Mechanical guerrillas set off dynamite charges in the mines, for reasons as yet unrevealed. — Noel Murray, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026 In the intervening decades, various redevelopment gambits have fizzled. — Jack Brook, ABC News, 28 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for gambit
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gambit
  1. ruse
  2. scheme
  3. trick
Noun
  • But as their love affair gets steamier and Haru frantically tries to maintain her elaborate ruse, the dance numbers lose their luster.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Litton had apparently set up a similar ruse at another small Seventh-day Adventist school, this one in Red Bluff, about 70 miles northwest of Oroville, sheriff’s officials said.
    — Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of ruse
Noun
  • The 7-foot-2 center is the type of rim-protecting force that can unlock a new scheme and elevate his teammates as the Lakers compete in a top-heavy Western Conference.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2026
  • That support included participating in the scheme; fundraising, mostly from recipients of pandemic-era government loans; arranging travel to Haiti and lodging for Sanon, Intriago and Solages and two dozen Colombian commandos.
    — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of scheme
Noun
  • How modular workstation sinks work A workstation sink looks like a standard basin at first glance, but the walls hide the trick.
    — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Charlotte Observer, 1 Oct. 2026
  • With each trick and tactic, companies are reinventing the ripoff right under our noses.
    — Lindsay Owens, Washington Post, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of trick

Browse Nearby Words

gambadoes
gambit
gambits
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Cite this Entry

“Gambit.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gambit. Accessed 2 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on gambit

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about gambit

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