1
as in ruses
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in gadgets
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 hitches
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
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Recent Examples of gimmicks
The 65-year-old exercise instructor and fitness personality didn’t rely on gimmicks to get Mel Owen’s attention.
—
Jessica Radloff, Glamour, 23 Oct. 2025
Production gimmicks and visuals are kept to a minimum, with an on-the-ground camera crew capturing angles most pop stars wouldn’t dare show.
—Ellise Shafer, Variety, 22 Oct. 2025
Stop gimmicks like hard appraisal caps that just shift the burden to others and drive up housing costs.
—Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 Oct. 2025
Rather than chasing gimmicks, the company has doubled down on image quality, system reliability, and post-incident usability.
—Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 10 Oct. 2025
Stripping all the fat and gimmicks from recent entries like Battlefield 2024 (2021) and Battlefield 1 (2016), the gameplay style has gone back to emulate the design of the series’ best installments like Battlefield 3 and 4 (2011 and 2013).
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 9 Oct. 2025
And then this was like no gimmicks on it at all.
—Leigh Nordstrom, Footwear News, 8 Oct. 2025
Avoid the gimmicks and stick with the classics.
—Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 3 Oct. 2025
But don’t feel pressured to pay extra for gimmicks.
—Dr. Jamin Brahmbhatt, CNN Money, 30 Sep. 2025
Jessica Radloff, Glamour, 23 Oct. 2025
Production gimmicks and visuals are kept to a minimum, with an on-the-ground camera crew capturing angles most pop stars wouldn’t dare show.
—Ellise Shafer, Variety, 22 Oct. 2025
Stop gimmicks like hard appraisal caps that just shift the burden to others and drive up housing costs.
—Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 Oct. 2025
Rather than chasing gimmicks, the company has doubled down on image quality, system reliability, and post-incident usability.
—Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 10 Oct. 2025
Stripping all the fat and gimmicks from recent entries like Battlefield 2024 (2021) and Battlefield 1 (2016), the gameplay style has gone back to emulate the design of the series’ best installments like Battlefield 3 and 4 (2011 and 2013).
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 9 Oct. 2025
And then this was like no gimmicks on it at all.
—Leigh Nordstrom, Footwear News, 8 Oct. 2025
Avoid the gimmicks and stick with the classics.
—Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 3 Oct. 2025
But don’t feel pressured to pay extra for gimmicks.
—Dr. Jamin Brahmbhatt, CNN Money, 30 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gimmicks
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
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Episode 4 finds both Ellen and Julia throwing themselves headlong into plans that require them to keep up major ruses.—
Kimberly Roots,
TVLine,
22 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
As for Elite World Group’s partnership with Asia Kingston, this also extends to the development of tech gadgets, encompassing the likes of earphones, headphones, portable speakers, smartwatches and power banks.—
Sandra Salibian,
Footwear News,
22 Oct. 2025
-
As gadgets are replaced faster, global e-waste is growing five times quicker than it’s formally recycled.—
Dave Smith,
Fortune,
22 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The two-door, three-person Can-Am Defender Limited and the four-door, six-person Defender Max Limited have 82-horsepower engines, power steering, tow hitches with a 2,500-pound towing capacity, winches, air conditioning and heating, a full hard roof and a three-position tilt-up glass windshield.—
Steve Waters,
Miami Herald,
12 Sep. 2025
-
My connection often improved a few minutes later, but those drops could result in stuttering in games, hitches in streaming, and slow file downloads.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Through these schemes, people invest a significant amount of money into a country – with some countries like Greece having a minimum of €250,000 (about $290,357) – and are allowed to work and live there.—
Kathleen Wong,
USA Today,
23 Oct. 2025
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Former player and assistant coach Damon Jones was arrested in relation to both schemes.—
Rick Porter,
HollywoodReporter,
23 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The cars — which will sit in 20 feet of water in a line to represent traffic jams that are all too routine in South Florida — allude to both our car-centric culture and the risks of climate change, said Ximena Caminos, founder and artistic director of REEFLINE.—
Ashley Miznazi,
Miami Herald,
21 Oct. 2025
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While some people fear the potential dangers of real-life flying cars, others like Neil are eager to try out a new ride, despite the risks.—
Sam Gillette,
PEOPLE,
21 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Turns out it’s finished ahead of schedule and already shipping the servers, which will support Apple Intelligence services on consumer devices like iPhones, according to a new Fox Business report.—
Andrew Nusca,
Fortune,
24 Oct. 2025
-
That means more than one of every eight of Kroger's 103 stores in its Cincinnati-Dayton division (which includes Northern Kentucky) have the digital devices so far.—
Alexander Coolidge,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
23 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Obsidian Entertainment has done an admirable job avoiding those pitfalls in its work, and 2019’s The Outer Worlds is a great example.—
Jason Fanelli,
Rolling Stone,
23 Oct. 2025
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Common pitfalls include adding too much salt, relying heavily on canned varieties, and using too much cream or butter.—
Brian Mastroianni,
Health,
22 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Halloween’s history, from tricks to treats Halloween is rooted in the ancient Celtic ritual of Samhain, marking the harvest and coming winter – and few know the shortcomings of the cold more than Minnesotans.—
Chris Kenning,
USA Today,
24 Oct. 2025
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Critic Dwight Macdonald later wrote that Keaton’s singular screen-in-screen transformation made similar tricks by Surrealist giants Dalí, Buñuel, and Cocteau timid by comparison.—
Erik Morse,
Vogue,
23 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Gimmicks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gimmicks. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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