play the lottery

idiom

: to buy tickets for a lottery run by a government

Examples of play the lottery in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Why do people play the lottery? Christopher Cann, USA Today, 6 Sep. 2025 Arrested As Part Of MrBeast Prank Statistics from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics show that older Americans are more likely to play the lottery. Andrew Stanton, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Sep. 2025 Mindell was castigated by legislative committees for slow-walking efforts to rein in bulk purchasing and the lottery's acceptance of third-party vendors brokering game tickets with smartphone apps, circumventing the state prohibition of using a telephone to play the lottery. John C. Moritz, Austin American Statesman, 9 July 2025 Inspired to play the lottery by his dad, a Virginia man purchased a $5 ticket, officials said. Natalie Demaree, Miami Herald, 4 Apr. 2025 The reality is that people like to gamble, play the lottery, and enjoy gaming. Lawrence Wintermeyer, Forbes.com, 3 Apr. 2025 According to the release, the lucky winner decided to play the lottery alongside his dad at the time, who also enjoys playing. Escher Walcott, People.com, 13 Jan. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Play the lottery.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/play%20the%20lottery. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.

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