opening gambit

noun

: a first move
Their opening gambit in the negotiations was to demand a wage hike.

Examples of opening gambit in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Shannon’s opening gambit about what’s bothering her is confusing. Peter Larsen, Orange County Register, 12 July 2024 Even after this opening gambit failed to stop Pyongyang’s missile and nuclear tests, or North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s aggressive rhetoric, Trump has remained fixated on China’s role. Mira Rapp-Hooper, Foreign Affairs, 7 Nov. 2017 Propst had everyone fooled for his first game in his home state since resigning from Hoover in 2007, and his opening gambit was almost enough against one of the state’s most talented up-and-coming coaches. Joseph Goodman | Jgoodman@al.com, al, 26 Aug. 2023 House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has laid out an opening gambit in what is likely to be a lengthy battle over the debt ceiling, suggesting that Republicans are open to a deal – but at a very high price. Bryan Keogh, The Conversation, 19 Apr. 2023 Because Edelman’s opening gambit reveals itself to be cannily constructed. Vulture, 27 June 2023 Riyadh has also listed a series of high-stake demands, including U.S. help in developing nuclear power, but U.S. officials see that as an opening gambit. Tracy Wilkinson, Los Angeles Times, 13 June 2023 Advertisement Some of his advice was reflected in the Limit, Save, Grow Act passed by the House in April as an opening gambit in debt ceiling negotiations. John Wagner, Washington Post, 7 June 2023 The Limit, Save, Grow Act is an opening gambit, not part of the endgame. Matthew Continetti, National Review, 29 Apr. 2023

Dictionary Entries Near opening gambit

Cite this Entry

“Opening gambit.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/opening%20gambit. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!