as in deception
the use of clever underhanded actions to achieve an end
that author doesn't go in for literary gamesmanship, so the reader is never led astray by the novel's narrator
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of gamesmanship
The louche festivities provoke dangerous gamesmanship, and scenes with a jazz band and a lively singer (Sophie Oliver) capture the evening’s reckless spirit, as Hedda coaxes couples onto the dance floor and then struts and sashays among and between them.
—
Richard Brody, New Yorker, 17 Oct. 2025
She was cleared in each case and chalked up the allegations to political gamesmanship.
—Aaron Leibowitz, Miami Herald, 17 Oct. 2025
And the gamesmanship’s already flowing.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 17 Oct. 2025
Roberts continued to roll his eyes at Murphy’s gamesmanship.
—Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 14 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gamesmanship
Richard Brody, New Yorker, 17 Oct. 2025
She was cleared in each case and chalked up the allegations to political gamesmanship.
—Aaron Leibowitz, Miami Herald, 17 Oct. 2025
And the gamesmanship’s already flowing.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 17 Oct. 2025
Roberts continued to roll his eyes at Murphy’s gamesmanship.
—Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 14 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gamesmanship
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gamesmanship
Noun
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McCoy is charged with theft by deception, violation of oath of office, and three counts of false statements and writings.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
7 Jan. 2026
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Harper got fired for the aforementioned deception.—
Alison Herman,
Variety,
6 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The story then unfolded through the subterfuge of the princess and the care of Morton.—
Simon Perry,
PEOPLE,
28 Oct. 2025
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Unlike the confrontational drudgery of couples therapy — and aiming to avoid the confrontational finality of divorce — this approach relies on subterfuge.—
Sheri Linden,
HollywoodReporter,
23 Oct. 2025
Noun
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But even as skeptics label Strategy and the DAT model as a house of cards built on financial chicanery, others view them as early leaders in an emerging category of crypto banks.—
Jeff John Roberts,
Fortune,
3 Dec. 2025
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The tale away from the playing field in recent years has been dizzying, one of soaring costs and debts, of quirks and chicanery unseen elsewhere.—
Chris Weatherspoon,
New York Times,
3 Nov. 2025
Noun
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With season 4 rapidly approaching, now's the time to prepare for the treachery to come.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
22 Dec. 2025
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Instead of being killed, Ashur takes Spartacus’ life and is consequently rewarded for his treachery by the Roman Empire.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
1 Dec. 2025
Noun
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Of course, the retort is that this would be irritating and exasperating to be continually deluged with alerts about AI deceptiveness.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
24 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Of course, many Americans vote early and have since the COVID-19 crisis, so his fearmongering about Election Day trickery is pointless.—
Paul Bedard,
The Washington Examiner,
15 Dec. 2025
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The stunt aims to confirm the robot’s physical capabilities and counter claims of digital trickery, marking an unusual strategy in a sector where technical specifications typically serve as proof.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Dec. 2025
Noun
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There was much more to it than that, including some skullduggery along the way.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
22 Dec. 2025
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The music industry is a notoriously cutthroat business, rife with tales of backstabbing and skullduggery.—
Philip Sherburne,
Pitchfork,
16 Dec. 2025
Noun
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Mike Bowman, designer, furniture industry expert, and director of marketing for Harmonia Living, says this trend relies on furnishings to bring artfulness to a space—rather than just functionality.—
Patricia Shannon,
Better Homes & Gardens,
10 Jan. 2026
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There is a real seriousness to the score — the scheming bad-guy music has the artfulness of Prokofiev, and even the sneaking-around cues have musical integrity and structure.—
Tim Greiving,
Vulture,
3 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Gamesmanship.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gamesmanship. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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