Did you know?
Don’t let the similarities of sound and general flavor between gambit and gamble trip you up; the two words are unrelated. Gambit first appeared in English in a 1656 chess handbook that was said to feature almost a hundred illustrated gambetts. Gambett traces back first to the Spanish word gambito, and before that to the Italian gambetto, from gamba meaning “leg.” Gambetto referred to the act of tripping someone, as in wrestling, in order to gain an advantage. In chess, gambit (or gambett, as it was once spelled) originally referred to a chess opening whereby the bishop’s pawn is intentionally sacrificed—or tripped—to gain an advantage in position. Gambit is now applied to many other chess openings, but after being pinned down for years, it also finally broke free of chess’s hold and is used generally to refer to any “move,” whether literal or rhetorical, done to get a leg up, so to speak. While such moves can be risky, gambit is not synonymous with gamble, which likely comes from Old English gamen, meaning “amusement, jest, pastime”—source too of game.
Examples of gambit in a Sentence
Todd Boss, Forbes.com, 15 May 2026
The film marks the latest cinematic gambit for CANEX Creations, the pan-African investment platform that’s looking to dramatically expand the reach of the continent’s creative sector.
—Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 15 May 2026
As a political matter, the gambit is likely popular.
—Michael Scherer, The Atlantic, 14 May 2026
In theory, the gambit should secure more value of GameStop’s shareholders than going solo, even if the combination’s shares decline.
—Shawn Tully, Fortune, 9 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for gambit
Cite this Entry
“Gambit.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gambit. Accessed 16 May. 2026.
Copy Citation
