Synonyms of gimmicks

gimmicks

noun

plural of gimmick

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

• ruses
• schemes
• tricks
• devices
• artifices
• stratagems
• ploys
• sleights
• gambits
• shenanigans
• dodges
• jigs
• wiles
• knacks
• sleights of hand
• juggles
• plays
• deceptions
• subterfuges
• fetches
• trickeries
• bluffs
• feints
• flimflams
• hoaxes
• duplicities
• cunnings
• chicaneries
• crafts
• frauds
• end runs
• gaffs
• swindles
• juggleries
• duperies
• fakeries
• skulduggeries
• cozenages
• legerdemains
• shams
• crookeries
• fronts
• smoke screens
• blinds

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

• gadgets
• tools
• gizmos
• appliances
• contrivances
• contraptions
• innovations
• accessories
• mechanisms
• widgets
• inventions
• jiggers
• instruments
• tricks
• implements
• ingenuities
• utensils
• adjuncts
• doodads
• thingamajigs
• doohickeys
• thingamabobs
• dinguses
• thingummies
• hickeys
• hootenannies

3

as in risks

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

• risks
• hitches
• pitfalls
• snags
• gotchas
• jokers
• land mines
• catches
• kickers
• booby traps
• traps
• perils
• bombs
• hazards
• snares
• trip wires
• surprises
• webs
• bombshells
• catch-22's
• decoys
• baits
• lures

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of gimmicks

Everyone knows that great gimmicks are the key to hiring top developers for your startup. — Nate Anderson, ArsTechnica, 31 July 2026

Many employers double down on rigid return-to-office rules, surveillance and gimmicks, even as workers fight back with coffee badging, ghost bookings and other quiet rebellions. — Roger Vincent, Los Angeles Times, 30 July 2026

Instead of chasing gimmicks, outrageous acceleration figures, or dashboard designs inspired by IKEA catalogs, Toyota focused on making an electric crossover that just does its job. — New Atlas, 20 July 2026

And, the gimmicks like Hummer’s crab walk and like rear-wheel steering actually do pay dividends. — Joel Feder, The Drive, 9 July 2026

While Louis van Gaal famously succeeded with a similar move in 2014, such substitutions are often viewed as gimmicks, as taker execution remains paramount. — Chris Evans, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026

Republican lawmakers pointed quickly to the report as backing their contention that Newsom and lawmakers have been balancing the budget using accounting gimmicks. — Sacbee.com, 19 May 2026

The deficits were papered over with a series of short-term fixes, including loans and accounting gimmicks. — Dan Walters, Mercury News, 19 May 2026

Some of the Heart Attack Grill's most provocative gimmicks included public spankings for customers who failed to finish their meals, plus free food for patrons weighing more than 350 pounds. — Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 19 May 2026