a roll of the dice
idiom
informal
—used to say that something could have either a good result or a bad result
Opening a new restaurant is always a roll of the dice.
It's a roll of the dice whether we succeed or fail.
Examples of a roll of the dice in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Norris was gifted the win by the stewards at Silverstone and then again by a roll of the dice on strategy in Hungary—when Piastri had clearly been the better driver at both races and deserved the wins.
—
Rob Reed, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
Signing Justin Fields to replace Aaron Rodgers at QB this offseason was a roll of the dice.
—Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Aug. 2025
Commercial flights had been shut down for months, and travel around Port-au-Prince was a roll of the dice.
—Jason Motlagh, Rolling Stone, 13 July 2025
That’s worth a roll of the dice, especially when the cost of placing the bet is zero.
—Thomas Drance, New York Times, 29 June 2025
But for many, getting a good night’s sleep feels like a roll of the dice, despite trying all the latest sleep hacks and accessories promising deeper rest.
—Allison Palmer, Miami Herald, 5 Mar. 2025
Their injury history, combined with a fearless, reckless style of play, makes for a roll of the dice in terms of holding up over the rigors of a 17-game regular season and in theory the playoffs.
—Jerry McDonald, The Mercury News, 24 Feb. 2025
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Rob Reed, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
Signing Justin Fields to replace Aaron Rodgers at QB this offseason was a roll of the dice.
—Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Aug. 2025
Commercial flights had been shut down for months, and travel around Port-au-Prince was a roll of the dice.
—Jason Motlagh, Rolling Stone, 13 July 2025
That’s worth a roll of the dice, especially when the cost of placing the bet is zero.
—Thomas Drance, New York Times, 29 June 2025
But for many, getting a good night’s sleep feels like a roll of the dice, despite trying all the latest sleep hacks and accessories promising deeper rest.
—Allison Palmer, Miami Herald, 5 Mar. 2025
Their injury history, combined with a fearless, reckless style of play, makes for a roll of the dice in terms of holding up over the rigors of a 17-game regular season and in theory the playoffs.
—Jerry McDonald, The Mercury News, 24 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“A roll of the dice.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/a%20roll%20of%20the%20dice. Accessed 13 Sep. 2025.
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