1
as in ruse
a clever often underhanded means to achieve an end
that free dinner is just a sales gimmick to get you to listen to their sales pitch
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2
as in gadget
an interesting and often novel device with a practical use
a car equipped with a parking spot locator and other neat gimmicks
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in hitch
a danger or difficulty that is hidden or not easily recognized
the deal sounds too good to be true, so make sure there aren't any gimmicks
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of gimmick
But by tweaking this archetype again and again, Chan transforms a cheap gimmick into a complex ecosystem of life-forms.
—
Dawn Chan, The New York Review of Books, 25 Apr. 2026
This wasn’t a one-off gimmick or a quick joke.
—Ryan Brennan
april 24, Sacbee.com, 24 Apr. 2026
What sets this apart from a gimmick is the intentionality.
—Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 23 Apr. 2026
Anna Širokova, a Rapid7 senior security researcher and the author of Tuesday’s post, said the use or claimed use of ML-KEM is likely just a branding gimmick and that implementing it required relatively little work by Kyber developers.
—Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 23 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for gimmick
Dawn Chan, The New York Review of Books, 25 Apr. 2026
This wasn’t a one-off gimmick or a quick joke.
—Ryan Brennan
april 24, Sacbee.com, 24 Apr. 2026
What sets this apart from a gimmick is the intentionality.
—Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 23 Apr. 2026
Anna Širokova, a Rapid7 senior security researcher and the author of Tuesday’s post, said the use or claimed use of ML-KEM is likely just a branding gimmick and that implementing it required relatively little work by Kyber developers.
—Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 23 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for gimmick
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gimmick
Noun
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While sustaining the ruse for months, Ale arranged with an expectant young mother who didn’t want her child to take that woman’s newborn as her own.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Seasoned observers of Russia’s space program might question if the drone attacks are a ruse to add another layer of secrecy over Russia’s launch activity at Plesetsk.—
Ashley Belanger,
ArsTechnica,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Minnesota doesn’t tend to design many gadget-style packages, but Bell offers a fascinating blend of size and speed that could cause complications for defenses.—
Alec Lewis,
New York Times,
4 May 2026
-
Such gadgets ended up affecting restful sleep.—
Shirl Leigh
May 03,
New Atlas,
3 May 2026
Noun
-
And the event went off without a security hitch, which was likely reassuring to members of Congress shaken by Saturday night's press dinner incident.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Crews spent Wednesday testing the system with brief ramp closures to make sure everything went off without a hitch.—
Shelley Bortz,
CBS News,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
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There’s a symbiosis in play here, and the NFL is fully aware that its unmatched popularity is still almost entirely a function of its TV-first delivery scheme.—
Anthony Crupi,
Sportico.com,
1 May 2026
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Following that incident, Weber allegedly tried to launch another scheme involving him offering basketball players overseas trips.—
Fernando Cervantes Jr,
USA Today,
1 May 2026
Noun
-
After Anthropic’s success in attracting business users, OpenAI is beefing up its Codex coding agent and other work tools.—
John Cassidy,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
-
State leaders should look beyond land use and taxation as tools for lowering prices.—
Maxwell Harden,
Sun Sentinel,
3 May 2026
Noun
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Police had been contacted by Thiamphanit's friends twice the day before her body was found, but the case was allegedly considered medium-risk, per The Times.—
Samira Asma-Sadeque,
PEOPLE,
30 Apr. 2026
-
And as climate change is likely to cause more storms in the future, more people will be put at risk.—
Devika Rao,
TheWeek,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
This and other videos like it have been making the rounds lately, using tricks for clicks.—
Lisa de los Reyes,
HollywoodReporter,
1 May 2026
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But Ohm has picked up some tricks from his time in the room.—
Louis Peitzman,
Vulture,
1 May 2026
Noun
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The 77-year-old monarch faced a number of possible pitfalls from a bombastic US president known for creating controversy and generating headlines at the lowest moment for US-UK relations in modern history.—
Max Foster,
CNN Money,
1 May 2026
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In the first, Batula defends dating Wilson by alluding to something Miller said on the show about the pitfalls of dating white men as a Black woman.—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
30 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Gimmick.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gimmick. Accessed 5 May. 2026.
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