Synonyms of gambit

gambit

noun

ˈgam-bət 

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

• ruse
• scheme
• trick
• device
• stratagem
• ploy
• jig
• dodge
• sleight of hand
• fetch
• bluff
• knack
• gimmick
• flimflam
• sleight
• wile
• play
• deception
• artifice
• cunning
• feint
• subterfuge
• juggle
• shenanigan
• trickery
• chicanery
• duplicity
• hoax
• swindle
• skulduggery
• end run
• swindling
• legerdemain
• jugglery
• cheating
• fakery
• fraud
• sham
• gaff
• crookery
• blind
• smoke screen
• craft
• cozenage
• front
• dupery

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of gambit

Some of Nolan’s aesthetic gambits are successful, including the diversity of its cast, his commitment to practical effects and on-location shooting, and the decision to have everyone sport an American accent. — Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 27 July 2026

But if a 12-year-old Spider-Man fan in Dubuque, Iowa, got to watch the film without any foreknowledge, then the gambit was more than worth it. — Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 23 July 2026

One gambit Infiniti is trying in order to attract more male customers is creating a sport trim that offers a little more aggressive styling and sportier interior. — Ed Garsten, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026

Or was the issue simply that dunking on DINKs is a riskier gambit for graduates of Yale Law School than race-baiting? — Matthew Walther, The Atlantic, 20 July 2026

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