Strategic Thinking Vocabulary

noun a board game for two players, played on a chessboard with 64 squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid

• Chess is a game of strategy that requires critical thinking and foresight.
• Hey, do you want to play some chess later?
• I'm totally going to checkmate you in chess!
• Life is like a game of chess, you have to think several moves ahead to succeed.

adjective having or showing the ability to predict or plan for the future; visionary

• The farseeing executive was able to anticipate market trends before they even began.
• My farseeing friend always knows the best places to eat in town before they become popular.
• That farseeing dude can always predict which team will win the game.
• Her farseeing vision allowed her to see beyond the obstacles and focus on the end goal.

noun the ability to predict or the action of predicting what will happen or be needed in the future

• His foresight in investing early in the company paid off handsomely.
• Thanks to his foresight, we were able to avoid a major crisis.
• Who would've thought his foresight would save our butts?
• Her foresight was like a guiding light in the darkness of uncertainty.

verb to outsmart or outwit someone by using clever tactics or strategies

• The general was able to outmaneuver the enemy forces with strategic planning.
• She always knows how to outmaneuver her opponents in a game of chess.
• I'm going to outmaneuver those guys and come out on top.
• In order to succeed in the business world, you must be able to outmaneuver your competitors.

verb to outwit or defeat someone by being more clever or intelligent

• She was able to outsmart her opponent by carefully analyzing the situation.
• I always try to outsmart my little brother when we play games.
• He thought he could outsmart the cops, but they caught him in the end.
• Sometimes you have to outsmart your fears in order to achieve your goals.

noun a card game involving skill and gambling, played with a standard deck of 52 cards

• Many people enjoy playing poker as a form of entertainment and skill.
• Let's gather at my place tonight for some poker games!
• I'm feeling lucky tonight, let's hit up the poker tables.
• Negotiations in politics can sometimes feel like a high-stakes game of poker.

noun a game that involves thinking ahead and considering multiple variables or possibilities

• The concept of four-dimensional chess is often used in theoretical physics to explain complex systems.
• Trying to understand quantum mechanics is like playing four-dimensional chess - it's confusing and mind-boggling.
• Dealing with my boss's ever-changing demands is like playing four-dimensional chess with no rules.
• In politics, it sometimes feels like the leaders are playing a game of four-dimensional chess while the rest of us are stuck in two dimensions.

adverb in a way that shows an ability to predict or foresee future events

• The scientist presciently predicted the outcome of the experiment before it even began.
• She presciently knew that the party would be a disaster, so she decided not to go.
• He presciently called out his friend's lie before anyone else caught on.
• The author's presciently crafted words seemed to predict the future events of the story.

noun a word that represents a person, place, thing, or idea

verb a word that expresses an action or a state of being

adjective a word that describes or modifies a noun or pronoun

adverb a word that modifies a verb, adjective, or other adverb, indicating time, place, manner, or degree

preposition a word that shows the relationship between a noun (or pronoun) and other words in a sentence

article a word that is used to specify a noun as definite or indefinite

• She knew how to use her resources to good advantage in order to achieve her goals.
• He always turns his charm to good advantage when trying to get what he wants.
• She's really good at using her connections to advantage in tricky situations.
• Learning to adapt quickly can turn any situation to good advantage.