1
a
: something that is laid, staked, or pledged typically between two parties on the outcome of a contest or a contingent issue : wager
—often used figuratively in such phrases as all bets are off to stress the uncertainty of an outcome
b
: the act of giving such a pledge
2
: something to wager on
3
: a choice made by consideration of probabilities
your best bet is the back road
bet also betted; betting
1
a
: to stake on the outcome of an issue or the performance of a contestant
b
: to be able to be sure that
—usually used in the expression you bet
you bet I'll be there
2
a
: to maintain with or as if with a bet
b
: to make a bet with
c
: to make a bet on
: to lay a bet
between
Synonyms
Examples of bet in a Sentence
Noun
He has a bet on the game.
He made a bet with his brother that he could finish his chores first.
He and his brother have a bet about who can finish his chores first.
He lost the bet and had to pay his brother five dollars.
His brother won the bet.
He paid his brother five dollars to settle the bet.
Verb
He bet $5 on the game.
I'll bet that he makes the next shot.
He always bets that the favorite will win.
He lost a lot of money by betting on college football and basketball.
I bet against the favorite and I lost.
I wouldn't bet against her. She's very likely to win this race.
Carmakers are betting that people will want to buy larger, more expensive cars this year.
Recent Examples on the Web
Eric Henderson, CBS News, 6 Apr. 2024
In an ad for the stuff, ARod plays a Little League coach, who, after losing a bet has to trade places with an equipment manager.
—Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 5 Apr. 2024
Your best bet though, is to stream the SheBelieves Cup Soccer Tournament online through Fubo.
—Tim Chan, The Hollywood Reporter, 5 Apr. 2024
Bold bets can also be seen in the market for stock options, which are derivatives tied to the share price of a stock.
—Joe Rennison, New York Times, 3 Apr. 2024
The best bet that Boeing will fly out of this tailspin is that Mollenkopf will guide its board to choosing the right pilot.
—Shawn Tully, Fortune, 2 Apr. 2024
Kurt Vandenberghe, director general for climate at the European Commission, said the EU anticipated that some of its bets wouldn’t work out.
—John Ainger, Fortune Europe, 2 Apr. 2024
In the nineteen-seventies, Stephen Hawking had made a bet with Kip Thorne, a fellow-physicist, about whether the cosmic X rays coming from Cygnus X-1 could really be the result of a black hole.
—Rivka Galchen, The New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2024
China’s defensiveness is spurred by a sense that its big bet on low-carbon technologies was just starting to pay off.
—Christian Shepherd, Washington Post, 29 Mar. 2024
Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 5 Apr. 2024
Michael Ault, the executive director of the Downtown Sacramento Partnership, bets that more professional sports will help reimagine the urban core, which often helps to define a city.
—Ishani Desai, Sacramento Bee, 4 Apr. 2024
Ryckman and his mystery stakeholders are betting the time is right.
—Jonathan Shorman, Kansas City Star, 3 Apr. 2024
Last month, traders lost $126 million betting against Trump Media, according to S3.
—Joe Rennison, New York Times, 3 Apr. 2024
The entire town is waiting to see whether Nolan will stick with Donna Langley and Universal after Oppenheimer’s box office and Oscar domination, or return to Warners (many are betting on the former).
—Pamela McClintock, The Hollywood Reporter, 2 Apr. 2024
While some states permit sports betting to varying degrees, others maintain strict prohibitions.
—Johnny C. Taylor Jr., USA TODAY, 2 Apr. 2024
The double standard is on display in every stadium in the league: a sign in the locker room tells players not to bet on baseball, while a sign in the arena tells everyone in the world that betting on baseball is cool, and fun, and the only way to really enjoy the game.
—Corbin Smith, Rolling Stone, 31 Mar. 2024
The attorney also said Ohtani’s interpreter never bet on baseball.
—Raja Razek, CNN, 25 Mar. 2024
Noun
Those in southeastern Missouri will find historical odds for cloud-free viewing more or less matching the odds in Arkansas, and those in the Chicago metro area should find their best bet is to head toward the southern part of Illinois, according to Albert Ramon, chief meteorologist for CBS Chicago.
—Eric Henderson, CBS News, 6 Apr. 2024
In an ad for the stuff, ARod plays a Little League coach, who, after losing a bet has to trade places with an equipment manager.
—Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 5 Apr. 2024
Your best bet though, is to stream the SheBelieves Cup Soccer Tournament online through Fubo.
—Tim Chan, The Hollywood Reporter, 5 Apr. 2024
Bold bets can also be seen in the market for stock options, which are derivatives tied to the share price of a stock.
—Joe Rennison, New York Times, 3 Apr. 2024
The best bet that Boeing will fly out of this tailspin is that Mollenkopf will guide its board to choosing the right pilot.
—Shawn Tully, Fortune, 2 Apr. 2024
Kurt Vandenberghe, director general for climate at the European Commission, said the EU anticipated that some of its bets wouldn’t work out.
—John Ainger, Fortune Europe, 2 Apr. 2024
In the nineteen-seventies, Stephen Hawking had made a bet with Kip Thorne, a fellow-physicist, about whether the cosmic X rays coming from Cygnus X-1 could really be the result of a black hole.
—Rivka Galchen, The New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2024
China’s defensiveness is spurred by a sense that its big bet on low-carbon technologies was just starting to pay off.
—Christian Shepherd, Washington Post, 29 Mar. 2024
Verb
If the team notices a client is betting for too long or spending a concerning amount of money, for instance, an employee reaches out to create some friction and assess the harm.
—Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 5 Apr. 2024
Michael Ault, the executive director of the Downtown Sacramento Partnership, bets that more professional sports will help reimagine the urban core, which often helps to define a city.
—Ishani Desai, Sacramento Bee, 4 Apr. 2024
Ryckman and his mystery stakeholders are betting the time is right.
—Jonathan Shorman, Kansas City Star, 3 Apr. 2024
Last month, traders lost $126 million betting against Trump Media, according to S3.
—Joe Rennison, New York Times, 3 Apr. 2024
The entire town is waiting to see whether Nolan will stick with Donna Langley and Universal after Oppenheimer’s box office and Oscar domination, or return to Warners (many are betting on the former).
—Pamela McClintock, The Hollywood Reporter, 2 Apr. 2024
While some states permit sports betting to varying degrees, others maintain strict prohibitions.
—Johnny C. Taylor Jr., USA TODAY, 2 Apr. 2024
The double standard is on display in every stadium in the league: a sign in the locker room tells players not to bet on baseball, while a sign in the arena tells everyone in the world that betting on baseball is cool, and fun, and the only way to really enjoy the game.
—Corbin Smith, Rolling Stone, 31 Mar. 2024
The attorney also said Ohtani’s interpreter never bet on baseball.
—Raja Razek, CNN, 25 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bet.' 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 bet
Cite this Entry
“Bet.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bet. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
bet
1 of 2 noun1
: an agreement requiring the person whose guess about the result of a contest or the outcome of an event proves wrong to give something to a person whose guess proves right
2
: the money or thing risked
3
: a choice made by considering what might happen
our best bet is to take the back road
bet
2 of 2 verb
bet also betted; betting
1
: to risk in a bet
I'll bet a nickel
2
: to make a bet with
I bet you he won't
3
: to be certain enough to bet
I bet it will rain
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