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

Relevance

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 Guggenheim gambit was a private affair during which BTS performed amid a Carol Bove retrospective, for the cameras of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. — Andy Battaglia, ARTnews.com, 10 July 2026 The following selections span the gambit from absorbent coasters to rattan coasters to high-quality pieces that are only occasionally dishwasher-safe—sorry. — Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 9 July 2026 Much would have to go right for that gambit to work, especially with so little time before the midterms. — Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 7 July 2026 In a gambit for votes in next year’s elections, the far-right nationalist party Rassemblement National put forth a plan last week to invest billions in air-conditioning. — Jessica Roy, Curbed, 29 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for gambit
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gambit
  1. ruse
  2. scheme
  3. trick
Noun
  • The Chenbot also weighs in on Jason’s emotional ruse to Angela.
    — Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 17 July 2026
  • But don’t sit at home, doing random tasks for empty nonprofits, believing in the ruse of fulfilling the necessary 200 volunteer hours to get into college.
    — Anya Joseph, Mercury News, 8 July 2026
Definition of ruse
Noun
  • In general, most experts agree that for a foreign vote-changing scheme to work, spooks would have to get physical access to the casting and counting systems used in thousands of different locations scattered around the country.
    — Philip Elliott, Time, 17 July 2026
  • The scheme also aims to start environmental education activities in schools so that sharks will come to be seen as part of the region’s natural heritage.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 17 July 2026
Definition of scheme
Noun
  • Les Bleus were then a penalty shootout away from retaining it four years later when a Mbappe hat-trick improbably wasn’t enough to ensure France became the first team to retain the trophy since Brazil in 1962.
    — James Horncastle, New York Times, 19 July 2026
  • Small styling tricks can help create movement, texture, and add visual interest—and one of those is reflexing.
    — Cameron Beall, Southern Living, 18 July 2026
Definition of trick

Browse Nearby Words

gambadoes
gambit
gambits
See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“Gambit.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gambit. Accessed 21 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on gambit

Nglish: Translation of gambit for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about gambit

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of dog days

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
thumbnail graphic with text word of the day quiz
Weekly "Word of the Day" Quiz See how well you know each Word of the Day for Ju...
See All