1
a
: a mechanical device for secretly and dishonestly controlling gambling apparatus
b
: an ingenious or novel mechanical device : gadget
2
a
: an important feature that is not immediately apparent : catch
… few readers would look for a gimmick in an advertisement featuring airline schedules, but few would fail to look for the fine print in an ad announcing New Low-Price Fares.—
Robert L. Heilbroner
Robert L. Heilbroner
b
: an ingenious and usually new scheme or angle
Even in professional careers, mere competence and craftsmanship is no substitute for a gimmick.—James Poniewozik
James Poniewozik
c
: a trick or device used to attract business or attention
a marketing gimmick
gimmicked; gimmicking; gimmicks
Synonyms
Examples of gimmick in a Sentence
Noun
The proposal to cut taxes was just an election gimmick to win votes.
that free dinner is just a sales gimmick to get you to listen to their sales pitch
Recent Examples on the WebTianwei Zhang, WWD, 22 July 2024
Not for hype, or concessions to passing fads, or attention-grabbing gimmicks.
—Allen Farmelo, Robb Report, 9 July 2024
Daron Acemoglu, Fortune, 6 Aug. 2024
Depending on the precise circumstances under which the United Kingdom leaves the EU, nationalists or unionists will be in a far stronger position to gimmick the long-term odds in their favor.
—Henry Farrell, Foreign Affairs, 29 Mar. 2018
See all Example Sentences for gimmick 
Noun
But the company is also cautious about not getting too excited by tech gimmicks.
—Tianwei Zhang, WWD, 22 July 2024
Not for hype, or concessions to passing fads, or attention-grabbing gimmicks.
—Allen Farmelo, Robb Report, 9 July 2024
Verb
But this requires much more reliable AI models—not gimmicks such as large language models that can write Shakespearean sonnets.
—Daron Acemoglu, Fortune, 6 Aug. 2024
Depending on the precise circumstances under which the United Kingdom leaves the EU, nationalists or unionists will be in a far stronger position to gimmick the long-term odds in their favor.
—Henry Farrell, Foreign Affairs, 29 Mar. 2018
See all Example Sentences for gimmick
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'gimmick.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near gimmick
Cite this Entry
“Gimmick.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gimmick. Accessed 18 Aug. 2024.
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