Meaning & use
Gamesmanship
Last updated
The use of dubious or borderline tactics, often bending the spirit of the rules or exploiting psychology, to gain an advantage in a game or negotiation.
See it in a sentence
His constant complaints to the umpire were pure gamesmanship, meant to rattle the opposing batter.
Negotiators sometimes resort to gamesmanship, delaying responses just to unsettle the other side.
A note on using this word
Coined by British writer Stephen Potter in his satirical 1947 book about 'the art of winning games without actually cheating.'
Words with a similar meaning
one-upmanshiptactics
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Words with an opposite meaning
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