gamesmanship
Americannoun
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the use of methods, especially in a sports contest, that are dubious or seemingly improper but not strictly illegal.
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the technique or practice of manipulating people or events so as to gain an advantage or outwit one's opponents or competitors.
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of gamesmanship
1945–50; game 1 + -s 3 + -manship, perhaps on the model of sportsmanship
Vocabulary lists containing gamesmanship
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.
That’s because the bottom two-thirds of the distribution is where we’d expect to see the bulk of earnings surprises that result from gamesmanship among companies and analysts.
From Barron's • Mar. 24, 2026
In most other sports, that would have been considered gamesmanship.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 28, 2025
“There’s a level of gamesmanship that goes on throughout the playoffs,” explained Edmonton defenseman Darnell Nurse.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 18, 2025
He is often hostile to prisoner claims, but allergic to judicial gamesmanship.
From Slate • Jun. 16, 2025
Maybe it was gamesmanship to try to throw me off, but it wasn’t working.
From "Proud" by Ibtihaj Muhammad
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.
