gambit

[gam-bit]

noun

1. Chess.,  an opening in which a player seeks to obtain some advantage by sacrificing a pawn or piece.

2. any maneuver by which one seeks to gain an advantage.

   Synonyms: ruse, scheme, stratagem, ploy

3. a remark made to open or redirect a conversation.

gambit

/ ˈɡæmbɪt /

noun

1. chess an opening move in which a chessman, usually a pawn, is sacrificed to secure an advantageous position

2. an opening comment, manoeuvre, etc, intended to secure an advantage or promote a point of view

Word History and Origins

Origin of gambit¹

1650–60; < French < Spanish gambito or Italian gambetto (akin to Old French gambet, jambet ), equivalent to gamb ( a ) leg + -etta -et

Word History and Origins

Origin of gambit¹

C17: from French, from Italian gambetto a tripping up, from gamba leg

Example Sentences

Macron's decision to keep Lecornu as his premier is his latest gambit as he tries to see through the final year and a half of his presidential mandate.

Read more on Barron's

To cancel an additional $4.9 billion, he revived a rarely used gambit called a “pocket rescission,” freezing the funds until they expired.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

His gambit is that no one, including hard-liners on both sides of the war, will say no to him, and that the professionals will sort it out.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Democrats’ gambit to tie an agreement to end the federal government shutdown to an extension of the subsidies could now scramble those expectations.

Read more on Barron's

Portraying yourself as a fresh start is a crucial part of any aspiring presidential candidate’s opening gambit.

Read more on Salon