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.
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of gambit
The gambit involves a plan to fund ICE separately and pass parts of the SAVE America Act, an elections overhaul bill, without any Democratic support through a budget process called reconciliation.
—
Barbara Sprunt, NPR, 25 Mar. 2026
The following selections span the gambit from absorbent coasters to rattan coasters to high-quality pieces that are only occasionally dishwasher-safe—sorry.
—Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 19 Mar. 2026
The gambit succeeded in amplifying calls from the party’s conservative base for Republicans to pass the legislation by any means necessary.
—Joseph Morton, Dallas Morning News, 17 Mar. 2026
The gambit that Shelley somehow comes to possess her fictional creation is sustained, as Ida alternates between a very American dialect and a more high-toned British accent.
—Peter Tonguette, The Washington Examiner, 13 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for gambit
Barbara Sprunt, NPR, 25 Mar. 2026
The following selections span the gambit from absorbent coasters to rattan coasters to high-quality pieces that are only occasionally dishwasher-safe—sorry.
—Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 19 Mar. 2026
The gambit succeeded in amplifying calls from the party’s conservative base for Republicans to pass the legislation by any means necessary.
—Joseph Morton, Dallas Morning News, 17 Mar. 2026
The gambit that Shelley somehow comes to possess her fictional creation is sustained, as Ida alternates between a very American dialect and a more high-toned British accent.
—Peter Tonguette, The Washington Examiner, 13 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for gambit
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gambit
Noun
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Six phone calls made from one of the suspect numbers — in between calls to the San Francisco victim on the day of his robbery — were to a Los Angeles man who was zip-tied, duct-taped and beaten inside his Los Angeles home on New Year’s Eve, following a delivery ruse.—
Megan Cassidy,
San Francisco Chronicle,
3 Apr. 2026
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Antoine’s art dealer Armand (Lellouche), desperate to keep Antoine from falling apart, urges Suzanne to keep the ruse alive.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The prosecution said all along that the two younger defendants were part of the scheme, but Alaniz Pineda was the one who shot Canoy.—
Shannon Tyler,
Idaho Statesman,
4 Apr. 2026
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Authorities arrested eight people accused of conducting a series of health care fraud schemes that bilked tens of millions of dollars from Medicare and other insurance companies across Southern California, prosecutors announced April 2.—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Old dog learns new tricks UConn forward Alex Karaban, who played on the 2023 and ’24 champions, is attempting to become the first non-UCLA player to win three national championships.—
Sean Hammond,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Apr. 2026
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The brain bug's intrinsic ick factor is undeniably high, but using their proboscises to suck thoughts directly from the brains of their unfortunate victims is a pretty neat party trick.—
Richard Edwards,
Space.com,
2 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Gambit.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gambit. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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