1
as in ruse
a clever often underhanded means to achieve an end
that free dinner is just a sales gimmick to get you to listen to their sales pitch
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2
as in gadget
an interesting and often novel device with a practical use
a car equipped with a parking spot locator and other neat gimmicks
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in hitch
a danger or difficulty that is hidden or not easily recognized
the deal sounds too good to be true, so make sure there aren't any gimmicks
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of gimmick
And then this was like no gimmicks on it at all.
—
Leigh Nordstrom, Footwear News, 8 Oct. 2025
Following the announcement on Tuesday, fans took to social media to complain about the marketing gimmick teasing them.
—Jordan Sigler, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Oct. 2025
Mostly, though, Wingard deploys his first-person POV gimmick for the purposes of cheaply effective jolts.
—A.a. Dowd, Vulture, 3 Oct. 2025
Avoid the gimmicks and stick with the classics.
—Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 3 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gimmick
Leigh Nordstrom, Footwear News, 8 Oct. 2025
Following the announcement on Tuesday, fans took to social media to complain about the marketing gimmick teasing them.
—Jordan Sigler, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Oct. 2025
Mostly, though, Wingard deploys his first-person POV gimmick for the purposes of cheaply effective jolts.
—A.a. Dowd, Vulture, 3 Oct. 2025
Avoid the gimmicks and stick with the classics.
—Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 3 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gimmick
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gimmick
Noun
-
Many suspect a spam call and don't pick up the phone, leading foundation staff to sometimes devise ruses.—
Kelly Meyerhofer,
jsonline.com,
8 Oct. 2025
-
But authorities now believe Speight made the whole story up — and even shot himself as part of a ruse.—
Janelle Griffith,
PEOPLE,
30 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Reports of early concepts include a screenless, wearable device that uses voice input and subtle haptics, envisioned more as an ambient companion than a traditional gadget.—
MacKenzie Sigalos,
CNBC,
14 Oct. 2025
-
Check that all your kitchen appliances and gadgets work properly and are used regularly.—
Maria Sabella,
Better Homes & Gardens,
14 Oct. 2025
Noun
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While the cinematic show in front of 70,000 fans went off without a hitch, some fans hopped online afterward to criticize La Flame’s punctuality.—
Mackenzie Cummings-Grady,
Billboard,
13 Oct. 2025
-
Another demo, intended to show robots loading laundry into a washer-dryer, meets a similar hitch twice in a row, when a Figure 02 drops a piece of laundry on the floor and is unable to pick it up.—
Billy Perrigo,
Time,
9 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Cornerback Jourdan Lewis has been playing at a high level, but Tyson Campbell didn’t look like a scheme fit, which might explain why he was recently traded along with a seventh-round pick for Greg Newsome and a sixth-round pick from the Cleveland Browns.—
Ted Nguyen,
New York Times,
11 Oct. 2025
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Other rural regions of Italy have had similar experiences and also launched similar schemes over the last several years with the goal of boosting development and combating depopulation.—
Kathleen Wong,
USA Today,
10 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The innovation could pave the way for medical tools that move through the body’s arteries or inspection devices that crawl into complex machinery.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
16 Oct. 2025
-
Toys, even ones marketed as tools for the imagination, are never value neutral.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
16 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Even 6 inches of moving water can pose a serious risk of knocking you off your feet.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
11 Oct. 2025
-
During periods of intense rainfall, the risk of flooding increases, particularly in low-lying and flood-prone areas.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
11 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The buckets are used as a replacement for the standard cardboard Happy Meal box and can double as a candy pail to use for trick-or-treating on Halloween.—
Endia Fontanez,
AZCentral.com,
14 Oct. 2025
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Add them to movie-night snacks, candy bowls, or trick-or-treat bags for a fun, not-too-frightening addition to your Halloween spread.—
Elizabeth Fogarty,
Better Homes & Gardens,
14 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Gunaratnam said the test shows the potential pitfalls when insurance and testing companies might not be familiar with a patient's full history.—
Ken Alltucker,
USA Today,
12 Oct. 2025
-
In her interview with Us Weekly, Rimes said the lifetime achievement that gives her the most pride is surviving the pitfalls of child stardom — noting that many others have died young.—
Ashley Hume,
FOXNews.com,
10 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Gimmick.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gimmick. Accessed 18 Oct. 2025.
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