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
Roster-building gamesmanship ensued between the rivals.
—
Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 25 Apr. 2026
Smith engaged in such coy gamesmanship ahead of Game 1, even on obvious matters such as his starting goalie.
—Andrew Knoll, Daily News, 22 Apr. 2026
Other throwaways made it on the list thanks to Bieber’s gamesmanship or Billboard’s methodological quirks.
—Mikael Wood, Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2026
Maybe Brown kept the pick-and-rolls, the dribble hand-offs, the give-and-go actions tucked as a form of gamesmanship so as to not tip his hand entering the playoffs.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 10 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for gamesmanship
Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 25 Apr. 2026
Smith engaged in such coy gamesmanship ahead of Game 1, even on obvious matters such as his starting goalie.
—Andrew Knoll, Daily News, 22 Apr. 2026
Other throwaways made it on the list thanks to Bieber’s gamesmanship or Billboard’s methodological quirks.
—Mikael Wood, Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2026
Maybe Brown kept the pick-and-rolls, the dribble hand-offs, the give-and-go actions tucked as a form of gamesmanship so as to not tip his hand entering the playoffs.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 10 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for gamesmanship
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gamesmanship
Noun
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But the dramatic vision-boosting reputation carrots have carried for decades traces back to a wartime deception, not science.—
Samantha Agate,
Sacbee.com,
15 June 2026
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The deception group reported the steepest drop in symptoms.—
Samantha Agate,
Kansas City Star,
13 June 2026
Noun
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There is a long history of subterfuge at World Cups — a long history of sharing injury information that isn’t exactly transparent or even accurate.—
Henry Bushnell,
New York Times,
17 June 2026
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If the Allies had had to postpone the invasion for the next moon-tide alignment later in the month, the subterfuge would have been exposed.—
Andrea Thompson,
Scientific American,
29 May 2026
Noun
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There’s a tremendous amount of financial chicanery that goes on in 2026.—
Chris Murphy,
Vanity Fair,
11 June 2026
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Not many people, however, concluded that financial chicanery at executive level should be used as a stick with which to beat the players and coaches who had won those trophies over the years in question.—
Oliver Kay,
New York Times,
21 May 2026
Noun
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Peacock’s adventures in treachery The Traitors was the top dog, scoring five prizes including Best Competition Series and Best Host for Alan Cumming.—
Erik Pedersen,
Deadline,
3 June 2026
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Upon learning of Ava’s treachery, Deborah HOWLS.—
Jessica M. Goldstein,
Vulture,
1 May 2026
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
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Beyond the deceptiveness of the narrow material view, spiritual light and hope are always present to be found and felt.—
Sue Brightman,
Christian Science Monitor,
3 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Diomande can shift from zero to full throttle in seconds on either wing and beat players with raw pace, trickery or both, all with the ball stuck to his feet.—
James McNicholas,
New York Times,
9 June 2026
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But ultimately, Williams believes AI can be an extension of editing trickery that has existed since the dawn of filmmaking.—
Jake Kanter,
Deadline,
27 May 2026
Noun
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Once there, a combination of Messi’s genius, goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez’s larger-than-life performances, a well-balanced team, and — it must be said — some unsavoury moments of skullduggery by several players, helped Argentina battle their way to the final against defending champions France.—
Will Jeanes,
New York Times,
20 June 2026
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For this skullduggery-stopping potential, the city paid $67,548, which is in the rough ballpark as what your average cop probably makes annually.—
Frank Landymore,
Futurism,
17 June 2026
Noun
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All of this shone vividly through his work, which shared his joy, artfulness and deep feeling, and most of all privileged human experience and social interaction.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
18 June 2026
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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
Cite this Entry
“Gamesmanship.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gamesmanship. Accessed 22 Jun. 2026.
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