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.
Taken with the blink-and-you’ll-miss-it starring turn from Jonathan Majors in “Infidels,” The Daily Wire’s gambit becomes clear.
From Salon ● Oct. 18, 2026
Most startling of all: He has presented this property gambit, where ownership remains solely with him and his wife, as an act of goodwill.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 6, 2026
The move is a high-stakes gambit ahead of a meeting between EU and Chinese trade officials this week aimed at strengthening Europe’s hand in negotiations.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026
On Saturday, the band reprised its recent two-nights/no-repeats gambit with a completely different setlist.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 4, 2026
America's nuclear gambit had kept Stalin in check, but the crisis in Berlin underscored the need to anticipate the USSR's next move.
From "Spies: The Secret Showdown Between America and Russia" by Marc Favreau
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
