WORD OF THE DAY
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.
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Commonly confused words with gambit
gambit / gamut
A gambit is a kind of sacrifice, while a gamut is a range. Your offer to do more chores might be a gambit to get a higher allowance — but if your parents simply pile on more tasks without offering more cash, your feelings might run the gamut from sad to angrily disappointed.
read moreVocabulary lists containing gambit
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