noun
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chess an opening move in which a chessman, usually a pawn, is sacrificed to secure an advantageous position
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an opening comment, manoeuvre, etc, intended to secure an advantage or promote a point of view
Etymology
Origin of gambit
1650–60; < French < Spanish gambito or Italian gambetto (akin to Old French gambet, jambet ), equivalent to gamb ( a ) leg + -etta -et
Explanation
A gambit is a strategic move, often in chess but also in politics or business, where a player sacrifices something up front for future gain. The noun gambit comes from an Italian word, gambetto, which means “tripping up.” When you make an opening move, offer something, or start a conversation with something that seems self-sacrificing but is really a ploy for greater advantage in the long run, that's a gambit. In chess, a gambit is when you sacrifice a pawn early for better positioning. When you offer to drive the morning carpool, that might be a gambit to get the afternoon shift off.
Vocabulary lists containing gambit
Check It Out, Mate: Chess Vocabulary
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And Then There Were None
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Hidden Figures
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Yet O’Connor condemned RIH’s move as an underhanded gambit to “circumvent” his authority, as though he alone had a claim to litigate this dispute and McElroy was an impudent interloper.
From Slate • May 19, 2026
Then the prime minister made his bold gambit, taking refuge in Labour Party rules.
From BBC • May 12, 2026
Since Haas became CEO in 2022, Arm has been aggressively pursuing revenue growth through price hikes and bundling, and the latest gambit is another move to keep that momentum going.
From Barron's • Mar. 24, 2026
Few people lobbied Trump to undertake the riskiest gambit of his presidency as effectively as the hawkish and persistent Graham, who over a decade has held a sometimes close, sometimes tumultuous relationship with Trump.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 7, 2026
He thought hard and then said, “What are those books about, Lula?”—a pretty good gambit on his part.
From "The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate" by Jacqueline Kelly
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
