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 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
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of gimmicks
No over-the-top marketing gimmicks.
—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 Mar. 2026
There’s no gimmicks or bells and whistles to this story.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 11 Mar. 2026
There really is no Zero-SP path and few structural gimmicks.
—Michael Salfino, New York Times, 11 Mar. 2026
The whole night seemed driven by gimmicks more than a clear or coherent message, and was devoid of any new policy ideas that would be obvious wins for GOP lawmakers.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 25 Feb. 2026
No gimmicks, just fashion at face value.
—José Criales-Unzueta, Vanity Fair, 19 Feb. 2026
Forget about sonic devices, scare devices or other gimmicks.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 15 Feb. 2026
There are no gimmicks, there’s no learning curve.
—James Raia, Mercury News, 8 Feb. 2026
No gimmicks, no nonsense, straight shooter, the woman who gets things done.
—Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 4 Feb. 2026
Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 Mar. 2026
There’s no gimmicks or bells and whistles to this story.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 11 Mar. 2026
There really is no Zero-SP path and few structural gimmicks.
—Michael Salfino, New York Times, 11 Mar. 2026
The whole night seemed driven by gimmicks more than a clear or coherent message, and was devoid of any new policy ideas that would be obvious wins for GOP lawmakers.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 25 Feb. 2026
No gimmicks, just fashion at face value.
—José Criales-Unzueta, Vanity Fair, 19 Feb. 2026
Forget about sonic devices, scare devices or other gimmicks.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 15 Feb. 2026
There are no gimmicks, there’s no learning curve.
—James Raia, Mercury News, 8 Feb. 2026
No gimmicks, no nonsense, straight shooter, the woman who gets things done.
—Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 4 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gimmicks
Noun
-
The New York Colored American reported that some offers of short-term work for Black men — moving livestock to or from Kentucky, for example — were ruses that ended with kidnappings.—
Equal Justice Initiative,
USA Today,
6 Nov. 2025
-
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
Noun
-
There’s a whole range of Hyperice gadgets available to tinker with, including Normatec compression boots and a Venom heat therapy belt.—
Siobhan Grogan,
TheWeek,
7 Apr. 2026
-
Women are being confronted by lotions and serums and light masks that promise to rejuvenate their faces and necks, dietary supplements claiming to do everything from boost moods to ease hot flashes and gadgets promising to help with symptoms.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
6 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The phrase was originally associated with Sutskever, who used it to caution his colleagues about the risks of artificial general intelligence—the threshold at which machines match human cognitive capacities.—
Ronan Farrow,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
-
Blue Lagoon Cruises said pumpable fuel as well as other oils stored onboard the ship had been removed by Monday, diminishing environmental risks.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
6 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Mitchell said the Cavs’ offense has changed, a little, to incorporate Harden’s isolation dominance, but also said Harden has fit into their original schemes.—
Joe Vardon,
New York Times,
7 Apr. 2026
-
Somewhere along the way, these schemes stopped rewarding loyalty and started exploiting it.—
Christopher Elliott,
USA Today,
5 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
But her journey hasn’t been without a few hitches.—
Aaron Tolentino,
New York Times,
11 Feb. 2026
-
The draft horse shows this week during the stock show’s 120th anniversary will include 15 six-horse hitches, or six horses pulling a wagon.—
Judith Kohler,
Denver Post,
24 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Small visual tricks are ubiquitous yet nothing here feels tacky.—
Chris Jones,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Apr. 2026
-
There are likely between 20,000 and 50,000 species of mycorrhizal fungi, each with its own tricks for tapping into different plants and harvesting nutrients using enzymes, acids, and water-mining structures.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
6 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Hims hair loss pros and cons There are many potential perks and pitfalls to using Hims for hair loss.—
Rebecca Strong,
USA Today,
3 Apr. 2026
-
But Lynch's remarks reinforce the pitfalls of trying to sidestep drawdowns by making dramatic moves.—
Zev Fima,
CNBC,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
During the Apollo missions, astronauts used urine collection and transfer devices, as well as plastic bags taped to the buttocks to collect feces.—
ByMary Kekatos,
ABC News,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Our bill will ban the federal government from buying and operating these devices made in countries that wish us harm.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
2 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Gimmicks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gimmicks. Accessed 10 Apr. 2026.
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