gambit

noun

ˈgam-bət How to pronounce gambit (audio)
Definition of gambitnext
as in ruse
a clever often underhanded means to achieve an end The seemingly benign questioning was all just a gambit to get them to fess up to their wrongdoing.

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of gambit There is no way to stick a knife into the circular reasoning gambit. — Jim Cramer, CNBC, 13 Oct. 2026 To roll out commercial units The regulatory gambit comes as major institutional energy consumers seek dependable, round-the-clock clean power. — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 10 Oct. 2026 Both are high-stakes and costly gambits, but as Vivienne Walt reports, Forrest is determined to prove that business can be a force for positive change. — Sam Forsdick, Fortune, 6 Oct. 2026 Sánchez is no stranger to gambits aimed at either saving his hide or strengthening his position. — ABC News, 6 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for gambit
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gambit
  1. ruse
  2. scheme
  3. trick
Noun
  • What about when Carole was hiding in the closet to try to overhear Luann calling her a pedophile, and Jules Wainstein kept trying to ruin her ruse?
    — Brian Moylan, Vulture, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Last-ditch plan for prosecution Authorities next developed what Smallwood described as a last-ditch plan to prosecute Tanzer — a ruse that could catch him lying about the rape.
    — Tim Stelloh, NBC news, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of ruse
Noun
  • Democrats, meanwhile, called the dividend proposal a vote-buying scheme.
    — Chad de Guzman, Time, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Disney actor Erik von Detten is being sued for allegedly scamming an elderly couple in a bizarre precious-metals scheme.
    — Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of scheme
Noun
  • Today, our constructor has reached into his evidently limitless bag of tricks to pull out a doozy of a Thursday grid.
    — Sean McGowan, New York Times, 22 Oct. 2026
  • The subtle, but unmistakable, undercurrent of apple sweetness struck me as a bit of a magic trick in a bread that, otherwise, to the eye and hand was just a soft white loaf.
    — Noah Kaufman, Bon Appetit Magazine, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of trick

Browse Nearby Words

gambadoes
gambit
gambits
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Cite this Entry

“Gambit.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gambit. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on gambit

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about gambit

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