1
as in ruse
a clever often underhanded means to achieve an end
that free dinner is just a sales gimmick to get you to listen to their sales pitch
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2
as in gadget
an interesting and often novel device with a practical use
a car equipped with a parking spot locator and other neat gimmicks
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in hitch
a danger or difficulty that is hidden or not easily recognized
the deal sounds too good to be true, so make sure there aren't any gimmicks
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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of gimmick
While there's been plenty of news, a handful of surprises, and plenty of delightful gimmicks, a few themes have emerged that paint a picture as the tech industry kicks off 2025.
—
Eric Zeman, PCMAG, 10 Jan. 2025
If customers find their usual flows getting interrupted by AI gimmicks, there might be some complaints.
—Chris Welch, The Verge, 5 Jan. 2025
The department store asked one of its copywriters, 34-year-old Robert L. May, to create a Christmas story the store could give away to shoppers as a promotional gimmick, according to the Smithsonian.
—John Tufts, The Indianapolis Star, 24 Dec. 2024
The musical biopic Better Man is so much more than its curious gimmick.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 14 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for gimmick 
Eric Zeman, PCMAG, 10 Jan. 2025
If customers find their usual flows getting interrupted by AI gimmicks, there might be some complaints.
—Chris Welch, The Verge, 5 Jan. 2025
The department store asked one of its copywriters, 34-year-old Robert L. May, to create a Christmas story the store could give away to shoppers as a promotional gimmick, according to the Smithsonian.
—John Tufts, The Indianapolis Star, 24 Dec. 2024
The musical biopic Better Man is so much more than its curious gimmick.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 14 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for gimmick
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gimmick
Noun
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Just a few weeks ago former contestant Rhea Mathew returned to the stage under the ruse of helping celebrate the show's 50th anniversary, only to be surprised by her boyfriend with a proposal.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
24 Jan. 2025
-
Litton, using the name Michael Sanders, had scheduled an appointment with Feather River Adventist School principal under the ruse of enrolling his nonexistent grandson.—
Ishani Desai,
Sacramento Bee,
17 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Who can resist a gadget, especially one that takes us back to the heady days of the Sony Walkman cassette player?—
Mark Sparrow,
Forbes,
22 Jan. 2025
-
This week's quiz features groundbreaking gadgets, Southern staples and much more.—
Sydney Borchers,
Fox News,
19 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
Instead, he’s accomplished the miraculous feat of returning from a 1,006-day absence with barely a hitch in his step.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Jan. 2025
-
And though for the majority of brides and grooms, their special day goes off with hardly a hitch, every so often, a true disaster happens that ensures the event is memorable ...—
Alex Apatoff,
People.com,
13 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
Kya Christian Nelson, 23, and others involved in what prosecutors described as a nationwide scheme, took over homeowners’ Ring security cameras and made fake emergency calls in November 2020, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California.—
Julia Marnin,
Sacramento Bee,
24 Jan. 2025
-
In a moment of delusion, Simon cooks up a scheme to get Wei-Tung married and secure their friend Wei-Wei a green card.—
Sadie Collins,
Them,
24 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Doing so gives the administration additional tools in fighting the inflow of drugs across the border.—
Jeff Cox,
CNBC,
21 Jan. 2025
-
Adrien Brody and Felicity Jones’s Hungarian dialogue in The Brutalist was enhanced using AI tools, according to the film’s editor Dávid Jancsó.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
20 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
The letter also states that Kelley Black put the district at risk of violating the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act.—
Michelle Mullins,
Chicago Tribune,
18 Jan. 2025
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Assess your risk The importance of all this advice depends on a person’s health and their exposure to poor quality air.—
Tribune News Service,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
18 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Magness recommended a trick backed by psychology: Use second- and third-person pronouns when talking to yourself, instead of first-person pronouns.—
Ashton Jackson,
CNBC,
17 Jan. 2025
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When working with one or a few rats, snacks like nuts, seeds, and fruit often do the trick.—
Laura Bradley,
Vulture,
17 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Bullock told Newsweek about both the strengths and pitfalls of the framework.—
Yaakov Katz,
Newsweek,
17 Jan. 2025
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The movie falls into the body-horror genre so Sue gruesomely emerges out of a slit in Elisabeth’s spine and, as their relationship becomes more and more destructive, both their bodies decay in a parable about the pitfalls of chasing eternal youth.—
Issy Ronald,
CNN,
16 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near gimmick
Cite this Entry
“Gimmick.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gimmick. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.
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