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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Recent Examples of gambit
But what if all these works were more than just conceptual gambits?
—
Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 8 Apr. 2026
For a party struggling to grasp levers of power, the gambit shone a damning, bright spotlight on a controversial and politically complex issue for the GOP for more than a month.
—Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 1 Apr. 2026
This gambit that was done last night is a joke.
—NBC news, 29 Mar. 2026
The gambit worked, and Russell’s friend got tapped.
—Alexandra Starr, Vulture, 27 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for gambit
Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 8 Apr. 2026
For a party struggling to grasp levers of power, the gambit shone a damning, bright spotlight on a controversial and politically complex issue for the GOP for more than a month.
—Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 1 Apr. 2026
This gambit that was done last night is a joke.
—NBC news, 29 Mar. 2026
The gambit worked, and Russell’s friend got tapped.
—Alexandra Starr, Vulture, 27 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for gambit
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gambit
Noun
-
Operation Mincemeat was such a successful ruse that even after the Allies’ arrival, German forces continued to leave the island for Greece or Sardinia, still certain that Sicily was just a diversion.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
23 Apr. 2026
-
Ultimately, the report states, the video call was a ruse, falsely portraying the child as safe and in the care of a non-relative in California.—
S.E. Jenkins,
CBS News,
21 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Depth chart impact Hunter has scheme versatility, but most analysts project him as a nose tackle, where Bobby Brown is the Panthers’ incumbent.—
Tobias Bass,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
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This new court filing is a transparent forum-shopping tactic in their scheme to obtain hundreds of millions of dollars from Michael’s estate and companies.—
Cynthia Littleton,
Variety,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Lemon was also the Trojans’ primary return man during his sophomore and junior seasons and was even used on a trick play against Oregon this season that resulted in a 24-yard touchdown pass to then-freshman Tanook Hines.—
Haley Sawyer,
Oc Register,
24 Apr. 2026
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The trio of Pastrnak, Elias Lindholm and Geekie can be trick-or-treat and Sturm was well aware of that when the series began.—
Steve Conroy,
Boston Herald,
24 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Gambit.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gambit. Accessed 25 Apr. 2026.
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