gambit (noun) – an opening move or remark to gain some advantage.

Note: This word comes from the game of chess where a player uses an opening move that risks losing a pawn, to gain a more important piece.

It’s a popular word in magazines and news websites. 

Examples of how you can use gambit:

The rock band’s gambit to make their new album available for free was a great success, with 1 million downloads on the first day.

The politician’s gambit to talk about how jobs were taken over by Chinese workers didn’t reflect reality, but made her very popular right away.

It remains to be seen how selling one of their flagship newspapers will be a profitable gambit for the broadcasting company.