Thesaurus results for GAMBITS

gambits

noun

plural of gambit

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 In the intervening decades, various redevelopment gambits have fizzled. — Jack Brook, ABC News, 28 Aug. 2026 The attorney general — appointed to his position last year by DeSantis after engineering some of the governor’s biggest political gambits while serving as his chief of staff — will be on the ballot this November for the first time. — Miami Herald, 30 July 2026 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 This perspective suggests that structural partisan advantage and voter registration patterns were decisive factors, countering narratives that place determinative weight on late-campaign tactical gambits. — Los Angeles Times, 26 July 2026 The Texas and California gambits were the first moves in an elaborate game of gerrymandering chess between the White House and Jeffries. — Jason Zengerle, New Yorker, 18 May 2026 Everything in the movie, from the chomping shark attacks that churn up the waves with Hawaiian Punch foam to the way a humongous great white meets her fate at the end, takes an obvious page from Steven Spielberg’s gambits and techniques. — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 11 Apr. 2026 But what if all these works were more than just conceptual gambits? — Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 8 Apr. 2026 But there is good reason to think that this time, his gambits may fail. — Yair Rosenberg, The Atlantic, 11 Mar. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for gambits

Noun

There’s a delightful secret history of Hollywood directors whose ruses and stratagems bought them an unusual amount of leeway with their scripts.

— Richard Brody, New Yorker, 5 Aug. 2026
Even before pro-party AI ruses were possible, the Chinese government and its supporters flooded social media with pro-China propaganda and vicious attacks on critics.

— Michael Schuman, The Atlantic, 7 July 2026

Definition of ruses

Noun

Meanwhile, frontier labs are pushing forward with their own self-regulatory schemes, which will ask them to agree on testing standards in a highly competitive environment.

— Ashley Gold, semafor.com, 25 Sep. 2026
The schemes often use fictitious romantic relationships to persuade victims to transfer money to an investment opportunity recommended by the fraudsters.

— Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 25 Sep. 2026

Definition of schemes

Noun

These devices, and more than a dozen others, are included in the latest update of STAT’s Breakthrough Device Tracker, which since 2022 has captured nearly 800 devices reported to have FDA breakthrough status.

— Katie Palmer, STAT, 29 Sep. 2026
The Chinese list of US products that will be subject to lower tariffs covers 1,619 items, including corn, wheat, frozen meat, seafood, wood products, cosmetics and medical devices, according to a list published by the White House.

— Hanna Ziady, CNN Money, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of devices

Noun

While some of its high-level LLM tricks are downright goofy, essential features like live captions, translations, and mini-map navigation perform admirably.

— Will Greenwald, PC Magazine, 28 Sep. 2026
Collier has been up to her old tricks, scoring in bunches and contributing a ton of rebounds.

— David Troy OutKick, FOXNews.com, 24 Sep. 2026

Definition of tricks

Browse Nearby Words

gambit

gambits

gamble

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Gambits.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gambits. Accessed 1 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of gambits

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

slew

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

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

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

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

Popular in Wordplay

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

Popular

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes