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gamesmanship

gamesmanship

8 8.2
Using clever but not clearly against the rules moves to get an advantage in a game or competition
  • noun
  • /ˈɡeɪmz.mən.ʃɪp/
translation icon : estrategia
  • She used gamesmanship during the debate, bending the rules just enough to gain an advantage.
  • gamesmanship behaviors
  • political gamesmanship

It can be years where you still kind of get caught in the mental gamesmanship and sort of the hypnosis of being in one of these relationships.

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Examples

  • In the world of sports, gamesmanship can sometimes overshadow the players' true talents.

  • Of course it had an effect; he has influence, and they love tactical gamesmanship.

    Blog text (16)
  • When gamesmanship takes the place of truth, this is what you get.

  • I understand all the legal gamesmanship.

  • It was just an exercise in gamesmanship.

  • Lloyd should have known that taking on the LEAPS project requires serious political gamesmanship.

    Blog text (23)
  • This is about gamesmanship.

  • I dare say that Netanyahu's response is gamesmanship exercised in the belief that there will be a ceasefire.

    Blog text (17)
  • Dan accepted meekly enough, laughing inwardly at Humphries' gamesmanship.

    Fiction book (2001)
  • Short-term electoral considerations and political gamesmanship have fueled much voter resentment.

    Academic text (1997)

Synonyms

play
vsgamesmanship
119 5.3

An action to get power, attention, or advantage

focuses more on bending accepted conduct within the rules rather than raw ambition
ploy
vsgamesmanship
85 4.9

A clever trick used to gain an advantage in talk or negotiation

is similar but often stays within the formal rules rather than breaking them
bluff
vsgamesmanship
64 5.5

An attempt to trick someone by showing false strength, for example in poker

is like that but typically uses less direct deception and stays legal
cunning
vsgamesmanship
28 4.5

The ability to get what you want by tricking people

is about using that cleverness in ways that are questionable but technically allowed
trickery
vsgamesmanship
27 4.9

To use dishonest ways to cheat people

is narrower, focusing on rule-bending cleverness rather than outright dishonesty
mind game
vsgamesmanship
15 7.2

A trick people use to confuse or control someone to gain an advantage

is similar but usually stays within acceptable competitive behaviour, not outright harm
chicanery
vsgamesmanship
  • Formal
8 9.3

Tricks people use to deceive others to get money or advantage

is similar in cleverness but usually avoids blatant legal or financial deceit
stratagem
vsgamesmanship
7 8.5

A clever plan to trick someone and gain an advantage

is similar but usually relies on borderline moves allowed by rules
power play
vsgamesmanship
  • Literature
4 6.3

A forceful action to gain control over other people

is less forceful and more about slyly gaining advantage within rules
one-upmanship
vsgamesmanship
4 7.9

Trying to show you are better than someone by bragging

is more about clever borderline methods to win rather than showing superiority
slyness
vsgamesmanship
1 6.2

A quality of being clever and secretly using tricks to get what you want

is less openly sly and more about acceptable strategic bending of rules
manipulative tactic
vsgamesmanship
7.2

A plan to control people by tricking them

is similar but usually avoids openly unfair or clearly forbidden actions
cunning tactic
vsgamesmanship
6.3

A clever but dishonest plan to gain an advantage

is milder, preferring cunning borderline tactics that do not clearly break rules
schemey tactic
vsgamesmanship
  • Informal
8.4

A plan that uses dishonest tricks to get an unfair advantage

is less blatantly unfair and often stops short of clear cheating
cunningness
vsgamesmanship
6.8

Being clever at getting what you want by tricking others

emphasizes practical borderline tactics rather than pure deceptive ability

Antonyms

19 2.7

Fair and generous treatment of opponents and referees in a game

16 3.0

Honest behavior that treats everyone the same and follows the rules in sport or competition

How Fair

sportsmanship
19 2.7
gamesmanship
8 8.2
cheating
1 2.0

Surface Forms

gamesmanship singular
gamesmanships plural

Morphology

gamesmanship = gamesman (semi-transparent) = game + man + ship

Formation from 'gamesman' (person) + the noun-forming suffix '-ship' is regular, but the specific pragmatic sense ('use of questionable methods') is a nuance not fully predictable from the base.

Etymology

The word gamesmanship comes from joining game and the ending -manship, like in sportsmanship, where -manship gives the idea of 'skill' or 'craft'. So, gamesmanship means using clever or borderline tricks to win a game without breaking the rules.