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Definition of "gambit" []

  • An opening in chess in which a minor piece, or pieces, usually a pawn, is offered in exchange for a favorable position. (noun)
  • A maneuver, stratagem, or ploy, especially one used at an initial stage. (noun)
  • A remark intended to open a conversation. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "gambit" in a sentence
  • "This gambit is a winner in Washington, even if the former president is a tad self-satisfied with his good works relative to, say, other former presidents."
  • "The problem with the madman gambit is that you pretty much have to be a madman to do it."
  • "The madman gambit is the bumbling nation-state version of “I meant to do that!”"