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 decision to defund the lottery, which for the much of this year has been a magnet for criticism in the Legislature on multiple fronts, was seen as legislative gamesmanship when the House in the wee hours of Friday morning passed its version of the state budget.
—
John C. Moritz, Austin American Statesman, 30 July 2025
With bathroom breaks, the most infamous incident of a player being accused of gamesmanship was Murray and Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece clashing at the 2021 U.S. Open.
—Charlie Eccleshare, New York Times, 8 July 2025
Take all the political gamesmanship out of it, this man is not fit to lead this country.
—arkansasonline.com, 4 July 2025
Until then, both sides have injected a degree of gamesmanship into the final round of talks, with Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) pledging to hold a vote this week in spite of the Democratic opposition.
—David Sivak, The Washington Examiner, 6 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for gamesmanship
John C. Moritz, Austin American Statesman, 30 July 2025
With bathroom breaks, the most infamous incident of a player being accused of gamesmanship was Murray and Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece clashing at the 2021 U.S. Open.
—Charlie Eccleshare, New York Times, 8 July 2025
Take all the political gamesmanship out of it, this man is not fit to lead this country.
—arkansasonline.com, 4 July 2025
Until then, both sides have injected a degree of gamesmanship into the final round of talks, with Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) pledging to hold a vote this week in spite of the Democratic opposition.
—David Sivak, The Washington Examiner, 6 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for gamesmanship
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gamesmanship
Noun
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But there’s some deception at play.—
Vann R. Newkirk II,
The Atlantic,
16 Sep. 2025
-
Stories of similar scenes are sweeping Puerto Rico—raids without court orders, marked by deception and racial profiling, often regardless of legal status.—
Israel Melendez Ayala,
Time,
16 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The trial was a kangaroo circus packed with sophism, subterfuge, and courtroom chicanery.—
Manuel Muñoz,
Literary Hub,
11 Sep. 2025
-
Maybe Payton’s running the best preseason subterfuge campaign ever to make Estime look bad on film.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
17 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
The trial was a kangaroo circus packed with sophism, subterfuge, and courtroom chicanery.—
Manuel Muñoz,
Literary Hub,
11 Sep. 2025
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Those concerns were laid bare in the discovery process for the defamation case that Dominion Voting Systems took against Fox over false suggestions of fraud and other chicanery aired by guests on the network.—
Niall Stanage,
The Hill,
19 July 2025
Noun
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When does compromise become treachery or defeat?—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Sep. 2025
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Could Juno be behind this treachery, as payback for David destroying her spy corporation and for changing his oldest daughter into a killer?—
Demetrius Patterson,
HollywoodReporter,
27 Aug. 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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Corona del Mar used some trickery to take the lead on the ensuing possession.—
Michael Huntley,
Oc Register,
13 Sep. 2025
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Or, some serious internal trickery.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
9 Sep. 2025
Noun
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And though O’Neil, who has been inside, says the building itself is in no shape for skullduggery, that doesn’t mean said skullduggery isn’t happening elsewhere.—
A.K. Whitney,
Oc Register,
9 Sep. 2025
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The American people are seeking solace and inspiration from its leaders, not pettiness and skullduggery.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
10 Aug. 2025
Noun
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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 18 Sep. 2025.
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