stake

1 of 2

noun

1
: a pointed piece of wood or other material driven or to be driven into the ground as a marker or support
2
a
: a post to which a person is bound for execution by burning
b
: execution by burning at a stake
3
a
: something that is staked for gain or loss
b
: the prize in a contest
c
: an interest or share in an undertaking or enterprise
4
: a Mormon territorial jurisdiction comprising a group of wards
5
6
: stakes race
usually used in plural but singular or plural in construction

stake

2 of 2

verb

staked; staking

transitive verb

1
: to mark the limits of by or as if by stakes
2
: to tether to a stake
3
: bet, wager
4
: to fasten up or support (something, such as a plant) with stakes
5
: to back financially
6
Phrases
at stake
: at issue : in jeopardy
stake a claim
: to assert a title or right to something by or as if by placing stakes usually to satisfy a legal requirement

Examples of stake in a Sentence

Noun Joan of Arc was burned at the stake. a poker game with high stakes The stakes are too high. Verb She staked the tomatoes to keep them from falling over. the actor staked the entire production of the film with his own money
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Both sides argue that the future of the country, even the nature of its government, is at stake. Susan Page, USA TODAY, 8 Mar. 2024 The Mountain West regular-season championship is still at stake, just not for the No. 21 Aztecs (22-8, 11-6), who were mathematically eliminated after Tuesday’s 62-58 loss at UNLV. Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Mar. 2024 As for Fans Fest, Samson said other MLB teams would have a right to be upset that the A’s are continuously putting in little effort to connect with their fanbase, particularly when there’s revenue at stake. Jason Mastrodonato, The Mercury News, 8 Mar. 2024 Millions of lives and the peace and stability of an entire region are at stake. Aj Willingham, CNN, 7 Mar. 2024 And with a spot in the confederation’s title game at stake, both teams — as well as the sport — deserved better. Iliana Limón Romero, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2024 Last year, the prince transferred another 4% stake to the Saudi Arabian Investment Co., known as Sanabil Investments. Jon Gambrell, Quartz, 7 Mar. 2024 There are 116 delegates at stake in the Democratic primary. Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 6 Mar. 2024 Digital World Acquisition, a special-purpose acquisition company, recently won a critical approval from the Securities and Exchange Commission to merge with Trump’s media start-up, which could give Trump a stake of publicly tradable shares worth nearly $4 billion, based on recent stock values. Josh Dawsey, Washington Post, 25 Feb. 2024
Verb
Whereas responsible token exchanges provide useful services, such as custody, staking, and market liquidity, reckless ones encourage bad behavior and play fast and loose with people’s money. Chris Dixon, Fortune, 10 Mar. 2024 Phillips at first staked his presidential campaign on a strong showing in New Hampshire's Democratic primary, which operated as an unsanctioned party contest where Mr. Biden wasn't even on the ballot because of the new primary calendar instituted by the president and national Democratic leaders. Jacob Rosen, CBS News, 6 Mar. 2024 Currently, over 25% of ETH is staked, meaning it’s locked up out of circulation, putting further constraints on supply. Victoria Chynoweth, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 The Biden administration has also staked a great deal of political capital on supporting democracy worldwide, and helping restore Sudan’s democracy would make an important statement about the United States’ commitment to supporting African democracy and peacemaking. John Prendergast, Foreign Affairs, 27 Feb. 2024 Broome scored 10 points in the final 3:30 of the first half to stake Auburn to a 55-41 lead. John Zenor, USA TODAY, 8 Feb. 2024 Novartis, by agreeing to acquire it, is staking billions of dollars on that notion. Damian Garde, STAT, 6 Feb. 2024 The Deckers have been in Malibu since the 1860s, when Marion Decker staked a claim to 160 acres of hilly land under the Homestead Act of 1862. Hadley Meares, The Hollywood Reporter, 26 Feb. 2024 Come Thursday, similar ingredients went into Minnesota’s 84-76 loss to No. 2 Purdue at Mackey Arena in West Lafayette, Ind. The Gophers’ hot 3-point shooting helped stake them to an eight-point halftime lead, but foul trouble added up and the U couldn’t keep up in the second half. Andy Greder, Twin Cities, 16 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'stake.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Old English staca; akin to Middle Low German stake pole, and perhaps to Latin tignum beam

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of stake was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near stake

Cite this Entry

“Stake.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stake. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

stake

1 of 2 noun
1
: a pointed piece (as of wood or metal) driven or to be driven into the ground especially as a marker or support
2
: a post to which a person is bound for execution by burning
3
a
: something that is staked for gain or loss
b
: the prize in a contest
c
: an interest or share in a business
4

stake

2 of 2 verb
staked; staking
1
a
: to mark the limits of by stakes
stake out a mining claim
b
: to tie to a stake
c
: to fasten up or support (as plants) with stakes
2
b
: to back financially

Legal Definition

stake

noun
1
: the subject matter (as property or an obligation) of an interpleader
2
: an interest or share in an especially commercial undertaking

More from Merriam-Webster on stake

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