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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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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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
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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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The hilarious hijinks that ensue are centered on a rugby-playing rascal whose initial interests in pulling chicks and working get-rich-quick schemes give way to a lifelong love of writing poetry in the post-Soviet-occupation era of the 1990s.—
Courtney Howard,
Variety,
30 Oct. 2025
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Massive schemes, such as those tied to the nonprofit Feeding Our Future, where fraudsters stole over $250 million in pandemic-era school meal aid, are just one chunk of the theft, according to federal prosecutors.—
Alex Derosier,
Twin Cities,
29 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The National Fire Protection Association recommends that devices not be charged under a pillow, or on a bed or couch.—
Charna Flam,
PEOPLE,
31 Oct. 2025
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The team hopes the new battery could power next-generation aircraft, drones, and portable devices.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
30 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Halloween’s history, from tricks to treats Halloween is rooted in the ancient Celtic ritual of Samhain, marking the harvest and coming winter – and few know the shortcomings of the cold more than Minnesotans.—
Chris Kenning,
USA Today,
24 Oct. 2025
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Critic Dwight Macdonald later wrote that Keaton’s singular screen-in-screen transformation made similar tricks by Surrealist giants Dalí, Buñuel, and Cocteau timid by comparison.—
Erik Morse,
Vogue,
23 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Gambits.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gambits. Accessed 1 Nov. 2025.
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