as in ruse
a clever often underhanded means to achieve an end
I couldn't tell whether her earlier poor-mouthing had been sincere or just a gambit to get me to pick up the dinner check
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Recent Examples of gambit
The cease-fire, announced as lasting 30 hours, appeared to be a gambit by Putin to show the U.S. that Russia was serious about peace.
—
Justin Porter, New York Times, 21 Apr. 2025
The tightrope metaphor can feel goofy and schematic, but there’s also the excitement of tracking the unfurling of a grand statement, and the frisson of wondering whether McCann’s gambit (like Petit’s) will succeed.
—Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 19 May 2025
The gambit has often begun with DOGE staffers accessing an agency's offices — in some cases clashing with employees — followed by mass job cuts.
—Joe Walsh, CBS News, 29 Apr. 2025
That gambit was talked about a lot leading up to the draft.
—Charlotte Carroll, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gambit
Justin Porter, New York Times, 21 Apr. 2025
The tightrope metaphor can feel goofy and schematic, but there’s also the excitement of tracking the unfurling of a grand statement, and the frisson of wondering whether McCann’s gambit (like Petit’s) will succeed.
—Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 19 May 2025
The gambit has often begun with DOGE staffers accessing an agency's offices — in some cases clashing with employees — followed by mass job cuts.
—Joe Walsh, CBS News, 29 Apr. 2025
That gambit was talked about a lot leading up to the draft.
—Charlotte Carroll, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gambit
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gambit
Noun
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Important claims, like whether or not the Los Angeles wildfires were merely a ruse to hide pedophiles.—
Matt Fleming,
Oc Register,
18 May 2025
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But a Southern California man and his co-conspirators devised an elaborate ruse — involving a boatload of fake orders and manipulation of the company’s software — that netted them millions, prosecutors say.—
Kaitlyn Huamani,
Los Angeles Times,
14 May 2025
Noun
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At the end of February, a pedestrian was hit in West London by an ebike rider in West London — not a rental or sharing scheme, to be clear — and died after a month in hospital.—
Nicole Kobie,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2025
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Though details of how the gambling operation functioned have not been released, HSI Tampa said in its post the scheme generated more than $21.6 million in illicit proceeds.—
Cristóbal Reyes,
The Orlando Sentinel,
5 June 2025
Noun
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The secret trick of reconciliation is that Congress gets a chance to add tweaks to the budget — to reconcile it — twice every federal fiscal year.—
Chris Stirewalt,
The Hill,
30 May 2025
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Turn Strong Articles Into How-To Or Best-Practice Guides One of my favorite tricks is transforming strong articles into resources that stay relevant long-term, like how-to guides or best practices.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
29 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Gambit.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gambit. Accessed 9 Jun. 2025.
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