26984 words

gambit

4 definitions • 4 examples
1
a clever action in a game or other situation that is intended to achieve an advantage and usually involves taking a risk:

Examples:

opening gambit Her clever opening gambit gave her an early advantage.
Their promise to lower taxes is clearly an election-year gambit.
2
a way of beginning a game of chess, in which you intentionally lose a pawn (= game piece) in order to win some other form of advantage later
3
a remark that you make to someone in order to start a conversation:

Examples:

opening gambit "I hear you're a friend of Jamie's" was her opening gambit.
4
something that you do or say that is intended to achieve an advantage and usually involves taking a risk:

Examples:

The arrest of the political leader was seen as the opening gambit in a move to take control of the government.

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