as in ruses
a clever often underhanded means to achieve an end
I couldn't tell whether her earlier poor-mouthing had been sincere or just a gambit to get me to pick up the dinner check
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 gambits
But there is good reason to think that this time, his gambits may fail.
—
Yair Rosenberg, The Atlantic, 11 Mar. 2026
Prediction market users make their wartime gambits from someplace comfortable and safe, and hope to hit it big off of someone else's misfortune.
—Scott Simon, NPR, 7 Mar. 2026
In those earlier pictures, metaphysical conceits became visual and dramatic gambits as the filmmakers set out to colonize the vast interior worlds of, respectively, the mind and the spirit.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 6 Mar. 2026
But taken together, along with the cumulative weight of high-level diplomatic gambits to Beijing now underway — and many more on the horizon — something structural is happening that requires attention.
—Dewardric L. McNeal, CNBC, 13 Feb. 2026
None of these actions require dramatic announcements or risky gambits.
—Sho Dewan, Forbes.com, 27 Jan. 2026
At first blush, Rachel appears to be a mousy wallflower irritated by Marty’s fast-cash gambits.
—Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 2 Jan. 2026
Should the White House attempt further such gambits, a bipartisan rejection seems likely.
—Bloomberg Opinion, Twin Cities, 25 Sep. 2025
Unfortunately, few of Holland’s other gambits pay off.
—Sam Bodrojan, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2025
Yair Rosenberg, The Atlantic, 11 Mar. 2026
Prediction market users make their wartime gambits from someplace comfortable and safe, and hope to hit it big off of someone else's misfortune.
—Scott Simon, NPR, 7 Mar. 2026
In those earlier pictures, metaphysical conceits became visual and dramatic gambits as the filmmakers set out to colonize the vast interior worlds of, respectively, the mind and the spirit.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 6 Mar. 2026
But taken together, along with the cumulative weight of high-level diplomatic gambits to Beijing now underway — and many more on the horizon — something structural is happening that requires attention.
—Dewardric L. McNeal, CNBC, 13 Feb. 2026
None of these actions require dramatic announcements or risky gambits.
—Sho Dewan, Forbes.com, 27 Jan. 2026
At first blush, Rachel appears to be a mousy wallflower irritated by Marty’s fast-cash gambits.
—Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 2 Jan. 2026
Should the White House attempt further such gambits, a bipartisan rejection seems likely.
—Bloomberg Opinion, Twin Cities, 25 Sep. 2025
Unfortunately, few of Holland’s other gambits pay off.
—Sam Bodrojan, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gambits
Noun
-
The New York Colored American reported that some offers of short-term work for Black men — moving livestock to or from Kentucky, for example — were ruses that ended with kidnappings.—
Equal Justice Initiative,
USA Today,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Many suspect a spam call and don't pick up the phone, leading foundation staff to sometimes devise ruses.—
Kelly Meyerhofer,
jsonline.com,
8 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The kickbacks — financial incentives by providers to get people signed up for services — are a fixture in some of the fraud schemes plaguing state programs.—
Caroline Cummings,
CBS News,
17 Mar. 2026
-
In schemes orchestrated with Iza, Coberg arranged a fake drug arrest and stood guard while a victim was extorted.—
Brittny Mejia,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Indeed, Hamilton says that in her experience, most runners, when left to their own devices, do all of their easy runs at a faster-than-necessary pace.—
Jenny McCoy,
SELF,
20 Mar. 2026
-
Later, O’Brien touted a fake company tasked with reformatting movies for smaller and smaller handheld devices, but the joke missed the mark.—
Peter Tonguette,
The Washington Examiner,
20 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Though the Bird Cage has been outfitted with modern lighting capable of new theme park tricks and projections, the rig is hidden among curtains designed to re-create the look of the original tent.—
Todd Martens,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Mar. 2026
-
Raúl had taught us dribbling tricks and how to hit a header from a corner shot.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
16 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Gambits.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gambits. Accessed 20 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
