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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of gambits
Should the White House attempt further such gambits, a bipartisan rejection seems likely.
—
Bloomberg Opinion, Twin Cities, 25 Sep. 2025
In fact, the opening two gambits were superb as Federer had to fend off a youthful Nick Kyrgios to clinch the inaugural 2017 version, while Team World pushed Europe all the way in Chicago a year later.
—Tim Ellis, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
Unfortunately, few of Holland’s other gambits pay off.
—Sam Bodrojan, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2025
Bloomberg Opinion, Twin Cities, 25 Sep. 2025
In fact, the opening two gambits were superb as Federer had to fend off a youthful Nick Kyrgios to clinch the inaugural 2017 version, while Team World pushed Europe all the way in Chicago a year later.
—Tim Ellis, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
Unfortunately, few of Holland’s other gambits pay off.
—Sam Bodrojan, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gambits
Noun
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Episode 4 finds both Ellen and Julia throwing themselves headlong into plans that require them to keep up major ruses.—
Kimberly Roots,
TVLine,
22 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Reckless schemes like scaling up desalinated seawater transfers will only worsen the damage.—
Nik Kowsar,
Time,
2 Oct. 2025
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Basic offensive schemes and defensive principles.—
Joe Vardon,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
Noun
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As such, more will be required than a World Cup ticket, particularly because physical tickets are vulnerable to counterfeiting, while electronic devices, which may ordinarily be a way to show authentic tickets, are usually forbidden in consular buildings where interviews take place.—
Adam Crafton,
New York Times,
2 Oct. 2025
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Nielsen’s streaming ratings cover viewing on TV sets only and don’t include minutes watched on computers or mobile devices.—
Rick Porter,
HollywoodReporter,
2 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Whether kids are learning tricks, competing with friends, or just marveling at the floating string, ZipString delivers the perfect mix of science, wonder and fun.—
Emily Glover,
Parents,
2 Oct. 2025
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For more tips, tricks and the latest updates, make sure to sign up for our weekly newsletter.—
Janet W. Lee,
NPR,
1 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Gambits.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gambits. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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