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
Closer to home, the Supreme Court recently opened the door to legal sports betting across the U.S.by invalidating federal prohibitions on such wagers. — Gerrard Cowan, WSJ, "A Gambling ETF Bets on Global Growth," 8 July 2018 Increasingly, though, gamblers in other countries are placing wagers from their smartphones. — Chris Kirkham, WSJ, "States Weigh Bets on Mobile Sports Gambling," 13 July 2018 Sullivan had reportedly made the wager with the couple’s friend Keith, who made the bet on his buddy’s behalf, according to the New York Post. — Michael Bartiromo, Fox News, "Groom wears Eagles jersey to wedding after bride loses bet," 1 June 2018 Since sports betting is nearly legal now, everyone’s getting in on making a friendly wager over the Vegas Golden Knights and Washington Capitals — even famous casinos. — Katherine Fominykh, baltimoresun.com, "Vegas' Caesars Palace and Baltimore's Horseshoe Casino are betting on Stanley Cup finals," 1 June 2018 This means that casual bettors placed small wagers on the Cavs hoping for a high-odds payoff, but the sharps were putting their big bets on the Warriors. — Michael Shapiro, San Francisco Chronicle, "Warriors historic favorites to win another NBA title," 30 May 2018 If dad isn't a birder, pick a bird before heading out, choose a spot to look for it, and place a wager on who sees it first. — The Editors, Outside Online, "The Best Father's Day Gifts Money Can't Buy," 30 May 2018 Gamblers in Mississippi casinos could soon be legally placing wagers on professional, collegiate and Olympic sporting events. — Bob Warren, NOLA.com, "Sports, yes. Elections, no. Mississippi unveils sports betting rules: report," 17 May 2018 Bettors place wagers before the game and during it. — Tariq Panja, New York Times, "Is Britain the Future of U.S. Sports Betting?," 14 May 2018Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
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 2018 Last year, some $140 million was wagered on the Derby. — OregonLive.com, "Kentucky Derby 2018: Breaking down the field, who to bet," 3 May 2018 West Virginia will allow people located within the state to wager online and via smartphone apps in addition to in-person at its five casinos. — Kate King, WSJ, "Delaware Cashes In on Sports Betting," 5 June 2018 But polls suggest outright victory could turn out to be harder than the firebrand president initially wagered. — NBC News, "Erdogan clings to power as polls tighten ahead of Turkey's snap election," 23 June 2018 The actions taken by the board are the first in our efforts to launch sports wagering in Pennsylvania as soon as possible. — Justine Mcdaniel, Philly.com, "Del. set to launch sports betting next week; Pa. opens petitions for casinos to conduct wagering," 31 May 2018 Gary Gray led the Ducks' compliance department throughout the entire scope of legal sports wagering in the state, until his retirement in 2013 after nearly three decades. — Andrew Greif, OregonLive.com, "Among Oregon athletic directors, sports betting's potential return sparks hope and concern," 24 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
\
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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