Russian roulette
noun
1
: an act of bravado consisting of spinning the cylinder of a revolver loaded with one cartridge, pointing the muzzle at one's own head, and pulling the trigger
2
: something resembling Russian roulette in its potential for disaster
taking cocaine is playing Russian roulette—
Jonathan Nicholas
Jonathan NicholasExamples of Russian roulette in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Young adults deserve choices that don’t feel like Russian roulette.
—Jahan Marcu, Rolling Stone, 23 Oct. 2025
An 18-year-old was kidnapped by three men and forced to play Russian roulette because of his dating relationship, according to Arkansas police and news reports.
—Mike Stunson, Kansas City Star, 6 Oct. 2025
Borges and Morais further claimed that the gunmen would torment them by playing Russian roulette with their son, although he was never physically hurt.
—Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 19 Sep. 2025
These sanctuary city politicians, like Mayor Wu out of Boston, are playing Russian roulette with the American public’s lives.
—Heather Hunter, The Washington Examiner, 19 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for Russian roulette
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Jahan Marcu, Rolling Stone, 23 Oct. 2025
An 18-year-old was kidnapped by three men and forced to play Russian roulette because of his dating relationship, according to Arkansas police and news reports.
—Mike Stunson, Kansas City Star, 6 Oct. 2025
Borges and Morais further claimed that the gunmen would torment them by playing Russian roulette with their son, although he was never physically hurt.
—Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 19 Sep. 2025
These sanctuary city politicians, like Mayor Wu out of Boston, are playing Russian roulette with the American public’s lives.
—Heather Hunter, The Washington Examiner, 19 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for Russian roulette
Cite this Entry
“Russian roulette.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Russian%20roulette. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
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