gambit

noun gam·bit \ ˈgam-bət \

Updated on: 30 Nov 2017

Definition of gambit

1 : a chess opening in which a player risks one or more pawns or a minor piece to gain an advantage in position

2 a (1) : a remark intended to start a conversation or make a telling point

(2) : topic

b : a calculated move : stratagem

See gambit defined for English-language learners

gambit was our Word of the Day on 01/28/2013. Hear the podcast!

Examples of gambit in a Sentence

I couldn't tell whether her earlier poor-mouthing had been sincere or just a gambit to get me to pick up the dinner check.

Recent Examples of gambit from the Web

Perhaps Hatch-Brady is just a bargaining gambit that will lead to a slightly more conservative version of Alexander-Murray.

— ed kilgore, Daily Intelligencer, "New GOP Obamacare ‘Fix’ Alternative Is Really Just a Poison Pill," 24 Oct. 2017
The Iranians, emboldened by Trump's nuclear-deal gambit, have every incentive to push the U.S. into these kinds of existential geopolitical dilemmas.

— ian bremmer, Time, "President Trump Sits on the Sidelines as Iraq Rolls Over the Kurds," 19 Oct. 2017
The gambit that will be watched closely by a series of other longtime African leaders looking to extend their tenures.

— nicholas bariyo, WSJ, "Ugandan President’s Plan to Extend Rule Triggers Turmoil," 28 Sep. 2017
Trump’s all-out support for interim Sen. Luther Strange, R-Ala., who is trying to close his gap in polls ahead of Tuesday’s GOP runoff election, is a political gambit, which the president acknowledged.

— alex seitz-wald, NBC News, "Trump Slams McCain Blocking Obamacare Repeal: ‘Honestly, Terrible’," 22 Sep. 2017
The great dealmaker’s final gambit was to put the country’s foremost family planning provider on the chopping block and dare House Republicans not to swing the ax.

— michelle goldberg, Slate Magazine, "The Biggest Lesson From the Trumpcare Debacle," 24 Mar. 2017
The military judge option was Bergdahl's only hope; the gambit paid off.

— danny cevallos, NBC News, "After Bowe Bergdahl Avoids Prison Time, Did Trump’s Past Comments Help?," 4 Nov. 2017
Whether through ubiquity or talent, his gambit succeeded.

— brett sokol, New York Times, "Club 57, Late-Night Home of Basquiat and Haring, Gets a Museum-Worthy Revival," 26 Oct. 2017
Its gambit will almost certainly fail in light of Pavan.

— mark joseph stern, Slate Magazine, "The state Supreme Court’s refusal to extend state spousal benefits to same-sex couples is an insidious attempt to defy Obergefell v. Hodges.," 30 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'gambit.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Did You Know?

In 1656, a chess handbook was published that was said to have almost a hundred illustrated "gambetts." That early spelling of "gambit" is close to the Italian word, gambetto, from which it is derived. "Gambetto" was used for an act of tripping-especially one that gave an advantage, as in wrestling. The original chess gambit is an opening in which a bishop's pawn is sacrificed to gain some advantage, but the name is now applied to many other chess openings. After being pinned down to chess for about two centuries, "gambit" finally broke free of the hold and showed itself to be a legitimate contender in the English language by weighing in with other meanings.

Origin and Etymology of gambit

borrowed from Spanish gambito, borrowed from Italian gambetto, literally, "act of tripping someone," from gamba "leg" (going back to Late Latin) + -etto, diminutive suffix — more at jamb

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1656

See Words from the same year