gambit

American  

[gam-bit] / ˈgæm bɪt /

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.

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gambit British  

/ 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

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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.

Example Sentences

He has only given you that $1,000 as an opening gambit, and now he wants something from you, but he is too Machiavellian to ask for it outright.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 25, 2026

Founded in 2002, SpaceX was Musk’s gambit to reignite the space industry that lost its luster after the Cold War wound down.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 15, 2026

In 2021, the Silicon Valley-based modular start up Katerra went spectacularly bankrupt after spending $2 billion in a hyperambitious gambit to disrupt the building industry.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 14, 2026

When it comes to capex, Meta is making the biggest gamble, and if it doesn’t hit, the company will have to pivot again, much like it did around its Metaverse gambit.

From Barron's • Feb. 11, 2026

The scariest was about the gambit, an animal that had four mouths.

From "Facing the Lion" by Joseph Lemasolai Lekuton and Herman Viola