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.
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of gambit
The legendary Chicago Bull ended as a Washington Wizard at age 40, then embarked on a team-ownership gambit that was wildly unsuccessful.
—
Miami Herald, 2 June 2026
That gambit transforms trillions that would otherwise be spent into savings.
—Shawn Tully, Fortune, 30 May 2026
This is a particularly shrewd gambit - on multiple symbolic and practical levels.
—Melik Kaylan, Forbes.com, 25 May 2026
Word of the stunt only began to dribble out Saturday morning, as the Latenighter site reported on the gambit and posted video of the full hour on YouTube.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 23 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for gambit
Miami Herald, 2 June 2026
That gambit transforms trillions that would otherwise be spent into savings.
—Shawn Tully, Fortune, 30 May 2026
This is a particularly shrewd gambit - on multiple symbolic and practical levels.
—Melik Kaylan, Forbes.com, 25 May 2026
Word of the stunt only began to dribble out Saturday morning, as the Latenighter site reported on the gambit and posted video of the full hour on YouTube.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 23 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for gambit
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gambit
Noun
-
Olive’s fake-dating ruse stems from wanting to let her best friend Anh (Marsh) date her crush Jeremy (Duvernay).—
Dessi Gomez,
Deadline,
11 June 2026
-
Adolf Hitler wasn’t completely fooled, and about four million mines were planted on the beaches, but the ruse worked well enough that, even as the landings got underway, some German commanders doubted Normandy was the main attack.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
3 June 2026
Noun
-
Industrial incompatibilities ultimately sank the project at the heart of the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) scheme, the much-vaunted political lynchpin of Franco-German military cooperation.—
Joseph Ataman,
CNN Money,
13 June 2026
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Suhail Kwatra was indicted by the Suffolk DA’s office on a felony charge for larceny over $1,200 by single scheme, according to court records out of Suffolk Superior Court.—
Rick Sobey,
Boston Herald,
12 June 2026
Noun
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Folarin Balogun is now the second US player to score more than once in a World Cup match, after Bert Patenaude – who happened to score the World Cup’s first-ever hat-trick in the inaugural 1930 edition … against Paraguay, so less.—
Jacob Lev,
CNN Money,
13 June 2026
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These chic wide-leg trousers will do just the trick, made of an ultra-soft and airy fabric ideal for looking polished and cool on warm-weather travels.—
Julia Morlino,
Travel + Leisure,
12 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Gambit.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gambit. Accessed 15 Jun. 2026.
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