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Definition of gamble
gambled
;gambling
play \ˈgam-b(ə-)liŋ\intransitive verb
1a : to play a game for money or propertyb : to bet on an uncertain outcome
2 : to stake something on a contingency : take a chance (see contingency 2)
transitive verb
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Examples of gamble in a Sentence
He's been drinking and gambling heavily.
He would often gamble hundreds of dollars on a hand of poker.
The mayor is gambling with the city's future.
people who lost money gambling in the stock market
The mayor is gambling that the new policies will help rather than hurt the city.
Recent Examples of gamble from the Web
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After just one home game, that gamble already is paying off.
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That stance is essentially this: Gambling is bad, mmmmmkay?
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Pritchard, though, was willing to gamble on them to bolster the Pacers’ roster with more young talent.
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Wood gambled that these emporiums would appeal to consumers who were discovering the new mobility that came with the automobile.
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Investigators reached out to area casinos, and learned that Jackson had gambled all of the money away at slot machines.
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The Wings may gamble that training camp/exhibition season will open a bigger window to trade Mrazek.
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An 87-year-old Illinois woman gambling in Iowa had hit a nearly $42 million payout from the Hello Kitty slot machine.
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Although the ban on locals gambling remained, investors were assured it would soon be lifted.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'gamble'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of gamble
probably back-formation from gambler, perhaps alteration (by dissimilation, or substitution of the frequentative suffix -le) of early Modern English gamner “player in a game,” from gamen “to play” (going back to Middle English gamenen, going back to Old English gamenian, derivative of gamen 1game) + -er 2-er
gamble
Definition of gamble
1a : an act having an element of riskb : something chancy
2 : the playing of a game of chance for stakes
Examples of gamble in a Sentence
Starting her own business was a gamble, but it paid off.
She thought about starting her own business, but she decided it was too much of a gamble.
Recent Examples of gamble from the Web
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There is nothing like having a bug bite or a killer headache and having to go to a foreign pharmacy, explain what’s wrong, and gamble on mystery pills and ointments (not to mention higher prices).
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Making the most of family vacations can prove to be a battle of compromises: sacrifice sanity for the sake of kid-friendly retreats or gamble on a more sophisticated and adult-geared holiday that might bore the kids.
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Willing to take a gamble on the design of a room in your house?
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The Lakers are giving up way too much, all for a gamble that LeBron James wants to play for them.
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Von Aulock said by phone, adding that the biggest impact was at casinos, where fewer people came to gamble.
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For Republicans, health care is becoming a big political gamble.
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Ms. Doyle made a calculated gamble, thinking she’d be sidelined for six to 10 months, weighing the financial loss against other income and savings.
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LONDON (AP) — British Prime Minister Theresa May’s gamble in calling an early election backfired spectacularly, as her Conservative Party lost its majority in Parliament and pressure mounted on her Friday to resign.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'gamble'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of gamble
noun derivative of 1gamble
GAMBLE Defined for English Language Learners
gamble
playDefinition of gamble for English Language Learners
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: to play a game in which you can win or lose money or possessions : to bet money or other valuable things
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: to risk losing (an amount of money) in a game or bet
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: to risk losing (something valuable or important) in order to do or achieve something
gamble
Definition of gamble for English Language Learners
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: something that could produce a desired result or a bad or unpleasant result
GAMBLE Defined for Kids
Law Dictionary
Learn More about gamble
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See words that rhyme with gamble Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for gamble Spanish Central: Translation of gamble Nglish: Translation of gamble for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of gamble for Arabic speakers
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