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

Example Sentences

Presumably the gambit is to catch Mr. Powell for lying to Congress regarding the office renovations or scrounge for details in search of some other so far undetected offense.

From The Wall Street Journal

But the gambit has faltered as the combined entity’s debt load has proved unsustainable.

From The Wall Street Journal

The Oscars will be shown only on YouTube from 2029, the Academy said Wednesday, in a radical gambit for a movie industry that remains wary of streaming platforms even as viewing habits shift online.

From Barron's

A point-of-view gambit from the hospital bed of June, ill with cancer, is both conceptually obvious and visually jarring.

From The Wall Street Journal

In October, China added holmium to the list of restricted materials, putting an end to the gambit.

From The Wall Street Journal