as in deception
the use of clever underhanded actions to achieve an end
that author doesn't go in for literary gamesmanship, so the reader is never led astray by the novel's narrator
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 gamesmanship
For Borchetta to sell her off to Braun was seen as gamesmanship, especially since both men openly strutted about the deal.
—
Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 30 May 2025
But Snead apparently could not help himself in introducing some gamesmanship to the conversation.
—Gary Klein, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2025
The characters surrounding Matt embody that gamesmanship.
—Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 26 Mar. 2025
The procedural gamesmanship is obvious and improper.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 30 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for gamesmanship
Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 30 May 2025
But Snead apparently could not help himself in introducing some gamesmanship to the conversation.
—Gary Klein, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2025
The characters surrounding Matt embody that gamesmanship.
—Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 26 Mar. 2025
The procedural gamesmanship is obvious and improper.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 30 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for gamesmanship
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gamesmanship
Noun
-
And how could Faas have knowingly perpetrated such deception?—
Gary Knight,
Rolling Stone,
1 Aug. 2025
-
This campaign of deception from Big Oil and the plastics industry underscores why California’s lawsuit against Exxon is so vital.—
Chelsea Linsley,
Mercury News,
29 July 2025
Noun
-
That phonetic play alone already signals one of the project’s theoretical subterfuges: that of exploring the most advanced conditions of the subject’s annihilation as a foundational precondition for artistic authority.—
Benjamin H. D. Buchloh,
Artforum,
1 June 2025
-
An especially Jewish theme in the seventeenth century was not only the necessity but the dignity of subterfuge; to have lived in the shadows of another people’s empire had a nobility of its own, captured in this exquisite and ambivalent image.—
Adam Gopnik,
New Yorker,
19 July 2025
Noun
-
One is inclined to ask how much chicanery, deceit, deception and outright lying one must absorb before ending one’s allegiance to that party.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
2 June 2025
-
Despite the chicanery, this is a solid deal for a phone that isn’t wildly different from the Pixel 9.—
Janhoi McGregor,
Forbes.com,
7 June 2025
Noun
-
The six-parter, to debut July 14, follows six groups of friends, and six historical cases of murder and treachery among them.—
Etan Vlessing,
HollywoodReporter,
19 June 2025
-
But amid the bloodbaths and treacheries, Westeros still penciled in time for a little romance — some more compelling than others (Jon and Ygritte > Jon and Daenerys).—
Tyler Aquilina,
EW.com,
17 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
In the span of a few quarters, impersonation has graduated from trickery to full-spectrum mimicry.—
Alexander Puutio,
Forbes.com,
31 July 2025
-
Because the women can’t vote or hold public office, their improvements get implemented through a mixture of trickery and indirection.—
Deborah Williams
July 14,
Literary Hub,
14 July 2025
Noun
-
From encounters with mermaids, the devil and even Robin Hood to themes of superstition and skulduggery, these short tales are perfect escapism to dip in and out of during your summer vacation.—
Newsweek Staff,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 May 2025
-
This year the skulduggery began early and has been raging for week.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
12 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
This style fosters defensiveness, secrecy, and a culture of fear.—
Mark Murphy,
Forbes.com,
30 July 2025
-
The secrecy surrounding the Maxwell interview has only contributed to the lack of trust—for many—in the administration line.—
Ryan Lucas,
NPR,
29 July 2025
Noun
-
Despite being outnumbered fifty-to-one by the Five Families of the Italian Mafia, the Westies’ legendary brutality and cunning have given them the leverage necessary to share the spoils through a fragile détente.—
Joe Otterson,
Variety,
30 July 2025
-
Despite being outnumbered 50-to-1 by the Five Families of the Italian mafia, the Westies’ legendary brutality and cunning have given them the leverage necessary to share the spoils through a fragile détente.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
28 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Gamesmanship.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gamesmanship. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share