wager
noun
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Definition of wager
(Entry 1 of 2)
wager
verb
ˈwā-jə-
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Definition of wager (Entry 2 of 2)
: to make a bet
: to risk or venture on a final outcome specifically : to lay as a gamble : bet wager $5 on a horse
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Other Words from wager
Verb
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noun
Synonyms for wager
Synonyms: Noun
Synonyms: Verb
bet, gamble, go, lay, play, put, stake
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Examples of wager in a Sentence
Noun
He has a wager on the game. I don't think the horse will win. What's your wager?Verb
She wagered $50 on the game. I wouldn't wager against them.
Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
Sports gambling recently became legal in the Garden State and Gov. Phil Murphy was first in line to place a wager. — Mark Alesia, Indianapolis Star, "FanDuel, DraftKings under microscope in state Supreme Court case being watched nationally," 27 June 2018 For people who bet with local bookies, these include the ability to make wagers without making an initial deposit, as is otherwise typically required, and the face-to-face nature of transactions. — Zolan Kanno-youngs, WSJ, "Your Neighborhood Sports Bookie Isn’t Going Anywhere," 26 June 2018 Included in this report is a quick list of the field, fast facts about Derby day, a recipe for Mint Julep, stats and analysis on the 20 horses running, sites to place a wager and popular betting terms. — Ed Barkowitz, Philly.com, "Kentucky Derby: Time, odds, TV info, picks and how Free Drop Billy was named," 4 May 2018 Live racing returns to Laurel Park with a 10-race program Friday that includes carryovers in the 20-cent Rainbow 6 ($3,156.72) and $1 Super Hi-5 wagers ($1,426.18). — baltimoresun.com, "Digest (July 1): Capitals sign center Dowd to one-year contract; Beagle off to Canucks," 3 July 2018 Trump's wager: The immigration fight provides a bigger political advantage than a win. — Jonathan Allen /, NBC News, "The Art of No Deal: Why Trump doesn't want an immigration bill," 22 June 2018 The coalition countries wager that taking away Hodeidah will accomplish that. — Asa Fitch, WSJ, "5 Things to Know About the Yemeni Assault on the Country’s Main Port," 14 June 2018 The betting rules in Delaware allow wagers on professional sports, including baseball, basketball, football, hockey, soccer, golf and auto racing, according to The News Journal. — Ryan Gaydos, Fox News, "Delaware Gov. Carney makes state's first legal sports bet as New Jersey waits for clearance," 7 June 2018 Just like at a racetrack, the bettor, be the wager placed in person or via technology, will have to front the amount. — Kevin Paul Dupont, BostonGlobe.com, "You can bet that sports bookies aren’t going away," 26 May 2018Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
But the regulators warned that sports-wagering gross revenue figures may be volatile on a monthly basis since payouts for future events, such as the Super Bowl, could occur months after the original wager was made. — Andrew Maykuth, Philly.com, "N.J.'s sports betting generates $294K in taxes," 12 July 2018 And hedge funds that wager on things like bonds, currencies and the likelihood of corporate mergers boast that their performances are unconnected to the stock markets and can rise in bull and bear markets alike. — James B. Stewart, New York Times, "Hedge Funds Should Be Thriving Right Now. They Aren’t.," 12 July 2018 In fact, the Yankees are currently listed as the +400 favorites (wager $100 to win $400) on the 2018 World Series odds at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com, followed by the Astros (+450) and Red Sox (+600) on the betting board. — Oddsshark, SI.com, "Yankees Best Astros, Red Sox as Betting Favorites to Win 2018 World Series," 20 June 2018 The offerings will include single-game and championship wagering on professional baseball, football, hockey, basketball, soccer, golf, and auto racing. — Randall Chase, BostonGlobe.com, "Delaware to start sports betting," 31 May 2018 An American Gaming Association survey cited by the New York Post estimated 28 million more Americans would wager on sports after the Supreme Court’s decision. — Tim Sullivan, The Courier-Journal, "Week in quotes: Best bets in legalized sports gambling are the house and state," 19 May 2018 In Nevada, the only place in the country where betting on sports was legal before this month, about $4.8 billion was wagered on sports last year and casinos kept about $250 million, according to the UNLV Center for Gaming Research. — Patrick Mcgeehan, New York Times, "Can Sports Betting Do for Atlantic City What Donald Trump Couldn’t?," 25 June 2018 The American Gambling Association estimates that about $150 billion is wagered each year on sports, with all but $5 billion of it done illegally, through local bookies or off-shore accounts. — Ross Dellenger, SI.com, "Like the Rest of College Football, the SEC Is Still Building Its Game Plan for Sports Betting," 5 June 2018 Experts estimate that as much as $400 billion is now spent on sports bets annually in the U.S. — a small fraction of which is wagered legally, mostly in Las Vegas. — Hugo Martin, latimes.com, "Sports gambling may be coming to California — but it's unclear who will take your bets," 20 May 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'wager.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for wager
wager
noun
English Language Learners Definition of wager
(Entry 1 of 2)
: an agreement in which people try to guess what will happen and the person who guesses wrong has to give something (such as money) to the person who guesses right
: the money or other valuable thing that you could win or lose in a bet
wager
verbEnglish Language Learners Definition of wager (Entry 2 of 2)
: to risk losing something (such as money) if your guess about what will happen is wrong
—used in the phrase I'll wager to indicate what you think will happen or what you believe is probably true
See the full definition for wager in the English Language Learners Dictionary
wager
noun
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Kids Definition of wager
(Entry 1 of 2)
2 : the act of betting
wager
verbKids Definition of wager (Entry 2 of 2)
: to bet on the result of a contest or question
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