chance 1 of 3

Definition of chancenext
1
2
as in opportunity
a favorable combination of circumstances, time, and place this is my one chance to succeed

Synonyms & Similar Words

3
as in probability
a measure of how often an event will occur instead of another the chance of being struck by lightning is very low

Synonyms & Similar Words

4
as in venture
a risky undertaking it's a chance, but I think the business will be profitable

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

chance

2 of 3

adjective

chance

3 of 3

verb

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of chance
Noun
Eventually, the remaining Traitors would be given the chance to join forces with them. Jordana Comiter, PEOPLE, 9 Jan. 2026 Running out of battery mid-flight means missing entertainment and the chance to use apps that help manage nervousness or track turbulence. Alesandra Dubin, Travel + Leisure, 9 Jan. 2026
Verb
Rain chances There’s basically no rain or thunderstorm chance from Tuesday through the weekend, a pattern South Florida’s felt for weeks. Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 29 Dec. 2025 Shoppers who don’t want to navigate stores, but also don’t want to chance shipping timelines, are increasingly using buy online, pick up in store (BOPIS) options in the final stretch of the holiday shopping season. Courtney Reagan, CNBC, 19 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for chance
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chance
Noun
  • The next night, though, reporting from his hometown brought Dokoupil luck.
    Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 8 Jan. 2026
  • With any luck, 2026 could be the year of the hobby.
    Anna Grace Lee, Vogue, 8 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • Visit during the dry season, December to April, for cooler weather and abundant wildlife viewing opportunities.
    Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 11 Jan. 2026
  • Calf and ankle injuries unfortunately curbed a few of his opportunities down the stretch.
    Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 11 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • Eastern Oklahoma has the lowest probability at 0%.
    Josh Kelly, Oklahoman, 9 Jan. 2026
  • When analyzing probabilities, entropy can reflect the amount of uncertainty in an event.
    Lev Akabas, Sportico.com, 9 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • Artemis 2 will be Orion's first venture into space with astronauts aboard, and will fly humans around the moon for the first time since 1972 and the end of NASA's Apollo missions.
    Josh Dinner, Space.com, 9 Jan. 2026
  • But the country also has strict laws governing foreign oil companies, requiring businesses to enter into public-private joint ventures that pay 30% royalty fees and a 60% income tax.
    David Goldman, CNN Money, 9 Jan. 2026
Adjective
  • Elvyn Yohel Ramos Routt County Investigators also said Ramos filed an insurance claim reporting the fire as accidental.
    Jennifer McRae, CBS News, 7 Jan. 2026
  • In another show, with a lesser writer, such incongruities could be read as character inconsistencies, accidental oversights, mistakes.
    Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 7 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • While many members of the British military have risked their lives and died in battle, there have also been lives lost at the hands of those same forces.
    Eduardo Tansley, New York Times, 8 Nov. 2025
  • Business leaders say that such policies risk accelerating an exodus of companies, diminishing the city’s commercial tax base, and ultimately affecting services and jobs essential to millions of New Yorkers.
    Hollie Silverman, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • When the pandemic happened, the only way to access live performance was if it was recorded and cast widely.
    Juan A. Ramírez, Vogue, 9 Jan. 2026
  • Good's defenders – including city and state leaders – are calling what happened an unjustified attack; federal authorities say the agent was acting in self-defense.
    Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 9 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • Detectives from the Police Department’s Major Collision Investigation Unit responded to take over the investigation, but the circumstances of the crash remained under investigation.
    Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 11 Jan. 2026
  • The circumstances of Good’s death, captured on video from several angles, have been widely disputed this week.
    Emily Holshouser, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 Jan. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Chance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chance. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.

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