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
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
In some possible gamesmanship, South Carolina will start junior right-hander Nealy Lamb.
—Thomas Jones, Austin American Statesman, 6 Mar. 2026
Speaking of which… How might the gerrymandering gamesmanship between the parties play out in the fall?
—Ian Crouch, New Yorker, 4 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for gamesmanship
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
In some possible gamesmanship, South Carolina will start junior right-hander Nealy Lamb.
—Thomas Jones, Austin American Statesman, 6 Mar. 2026
Speaking of which… How might the gerrymandering gamesmanship between the parties play out in the fall?
—Ian Crouch, New Yorker, 4 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for gamesmanship
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gamesmanship
Noun
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But in a further deception orchestrated by the Devil, the king’s mother is ordered to kill the queen and her child.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 June 2026
-
Red-team against deliberate deception, not just natural variability.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
Noun
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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
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Jakirovic was speaking before the EFL’s independent commission came down heavy on Southampton’s subterfuge.—
Philip Buckingham,
New York Times,
22 May 2026
Noun
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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
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There was some physicality – McAvoy absolutely buried Peyton Krebs off the hop – but little post-whistle chicanery.—
Steve Conroy,
Boston Herald,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Upon learning of Ava’s treachery, Deborah HOWLS.—
Jessica M. Goldstein,
Vulture,
1 May 2026
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Inflamed by Ratansen’s adviser’s account of Padmavati’s beauty, Alauddin Khalji storms the fortress by treachery rather than valor.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
9 Apr. 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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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
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Consider, too, relatively new forms of trickery, such as manipulating substitution procedures or spying on rivals.—
Cesar R. Torres,
The Conversation,
26 May 2026
Noun
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One result of the existing system is that vote tabulations in California go on for weeks, something that frustrates the public and the media, and, in the current atmosphere, helps fuel suspicion of electoral skullduggery.—
Michael Smolens,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
29 Mar. 2026
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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
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 5 Jun. 2026.
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