1
a
: a mechanical device for secretly and dishonestly controlling gambling apparatus
b
: an ingenious or novel mechanical device : gadget
2
a
: an important feature that is not immediately apparent : catch
… few readers would look for a gimmick in an advertisement featuring airline schedules, but few would fail to look for the fine print in an ad announcing New Low-Price Fares.—
Robert L. Heilbroner
Robert L. Heilbroner
b
: an ingenious and usually new scheme or angle
Even in professional careers, mere competence and craftsmanship is no substitute for a gimmick.—James Poniewozik
James Poniewozik
c
: a trick or device used to attract business or attention
a marketing gimmick
gimmicked; gimmicking; gimmicks
Examples of gimmick in a Sentence
Noun
The proposal to cut taxes was just an election gimmick to win votes.
that free dinner is just a sales gimmick to get you to listen to their sales pitch
Recent Examples on the Web
Erik Kain, Forbes, 14 Mar. 2025
Activities Archive While that gimmick might get pretty old pretty fast on its own, what really elevates the film is a disturbing-dream-like quality which is present throughout its 14-minute-plus runtime.
—Ben Coxworth, New Atlas, 14 Mar. 2025
Dan Walters, The Mercury News, 10 Mar. 2025
One of America’s favorite pastimes, right up there with baseball and gimmick food, is generational disdain.
—Alex Abad-Santos, Vox, 7 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gimmick
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Noun
This looks excellent and has quickly shot to the #1 spot on Netflix thanks to its strong cast and fascinating gimmick.
—Erik Kain, Forbes, 14 Mar. 2025
Activities Archive While that gimmick might get pretty old pretty fast on its own, what really elevates the film is a disturbing-dream-like quality which is present throughout its 14-minute-plus runtime.
—Ben Coxworth, New Atlas, 14 Mar. 2025
Verb
Newsom’s California budget gimmicks mask underlying problems ‘Too damn hard to build’: An East Bay Democrat’s push for speedier construction
California legislation about Bigfoot started as an inside joke.
—Dan Walters, The Mercury News, 10 Mar. 2025
One of America’s favorite pastimes, right up there with baseball and gimmick food, is generational disdain.
—Alex Abad-Santos, Vox, 7 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gimmick
Cite this Entry
“Gimmick.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gimmick. Accessed 22 Mar. 2025.
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