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

She was referring to the 1846-48 Mexican-American War, now widely seen as a U.S. expansionist gambit in the era of Manifest Destiny.

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Forcing the government shutdown was a classic Schumer gambit—flashy and misguided.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Data released a few weeks later vindicated his gambit: The economy had essentially stopped adding jobs.

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China’s gambit underscored the dangers of relying on a national superpower that can damage fortunes by turning off the trade spigot.

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He kicked around the idea of adapting the interview with Hujar but knew that filming in just one space was a high-stakes gambit.

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