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
Much like the character that brought him instant fame, Waltz loves the gamesmanship that comes with a villainous turn.
—
William Earl, Variety, 6 Feb. 2026
Coach Paul Maurice might have even engaged in a little gamesmanship, telling reporters in the morning that Marchand would remain out, only for Marchand to be in the lineup.
—Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 5 Feb. 2026
Dickinson came close, but was unfortunately outdone by dastardly Internet gamesmanship.
—Frederick Dreier, Outside, 30 Jan. 2026
However the New York State Constitution happily and explicitly forbids such gamesmanship and amending the state Constitution can’t be done before this year’s midterms.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 23 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for gamesmanship
William Earl, Variety, 6 Feb. 2026
Coach Paul Maurice might have even engaged in a little gamesmanship, telling reporters in the morning that Marchand would remain out, only for Marchand to be in the lineup.
—Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 5 Feb. 2026
Dickinson came close, but was unfortunately outdone by dastardly Internet gamesmanship.
—Frederick Dreier, Outside, 30 Jan. 2026
However the New York State Constitution happily and explicitly forbids such gamesmanship and amending the state Constitution can’t be done before this year’s midterms.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 23 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for gamesmanship
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gamesmanship
Noun
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In 2024, North Korea claimed to have successfully testlaunched a multiwarhead missile, but South Korea quickly dismissed it as deception to cover up a failed launch.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
30 Mar. 2026
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These include debt bondage, restriction of movement, withholding of wages, excessive overtime, physical violence, surveillance, deception, isolation, abuse of vulnerability and abusive conditions.—
Efrat Lachter,
FOXNews.com,
29 Mar. 2026
Noun
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This claim swayed Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh to note this version of the administration’s fabrication in his dissent, which will be forever linked to this administration’s subterfuge.—
Mark Pirie,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Mar. 2026
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Both nations are among the tournament's top contenders, which made the last few practices stateside simmering with subterfuge.—
Ren Clayton,
CBS News,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
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That said, there are plenty of reasons — none involving any kind of partisan chicanery — that explain why California elections seems to drag on and vote totals shift as ballots are steadily counted.—
Mark Z. Barabak,
Mercury News,
18 Feb. 2026
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That said, there are plenty of reasons — none involving any kind of partisan chicanery — that explain why California elections seems to drag on and vote totals shift as ballots are steadily counted.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Undocumented immigrants venture from Mexico, often underestimating of the treachery of the landscape.—
Shi En Kim,
AZCentral.com,
26 Mar. 2026
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Jonathan Cute kept probing the murky realms between tourism and treachery.—
Adam Ciralsky,
Vanity Fair,
19 Mar. 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
Noun
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The lawsuit also alleged that in that operation, border officials used trickery to get people to leave the country.—
Julia Ainsley,
NBC news,
16 Mar. 2026
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His pace, trickery and willingness to run outside and stretch defenders will be useful in the coming weeks.—
Carl Anka,
New York Times,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The selection was announced by SMS to Iranians, among whom Mojtaba Khamenei has long had a reputation for skullduggery and power plays.—
Kay Armin Serjoie,
Time,
9 Mar. 2026
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The governor’s office offered no explanation for its skullduggery.—
Kevin Rennie,
Hartford Courant,
7 Mar. 2026
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 2 Apr. 2026.
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