1
as in luck
the uncertain course of events
rather than leave everything to chance, let's plan how we're going to spend our time in New York City
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
3
as in probabilities
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 gambles
a risky undertaking
it's a chance, but I think the business will be profitable
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in risks
to take a chance on
I don't think we should chance driving in this snowstorm
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in happens
to take place
there chanced to be a beautiful day when we were touring that part of Scotland
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 chances
Renée Onque, CNBC, 16 Jan. 2026
Several of the Monarchs’ scoring chances came off sharp cross passes.
—Dan Albano, Oc Register, 16 Jan. 2026
An abundance of discounts await in Pottery Barn’s sale section, but this weekend is one of the only chances to get an additional 20 percent off.
—Rylee Johnston, PEOPLE, 16 Jan. 2026
The National Weather Service in Miami puts rain chances at 70%.
—Miami Herald, 15 Jan. 2026
Forecasters anticipate more chances for snow throughout the week, with possible accumulations east of Interstate 65.
—Caroline Neal, Louisville Courier Journal, 15 Jan. 2026
The chances of doing that without new taxes of some kind are — to put it mildly — almost nil.
—Dan Walters, Mercury News, 15 Jan. 2026
The department demonstrated useful technology to reduce the chances that your car will be stolen.
—Joe Holden, CBS News, 8 Jan. 2026
The Green Bay Packers’ chances of extending their season depend in part on how well Jordan Love can protect the ball against the Chicago Bears.
—Steve Megargee, Chicago Tribune, 8 Jan. 2026
Kansas City Star, 8 Jan. 2026
The rain chances in South Florida over the next seven days.
—CBS News, 8 Jan. 2026
The 49ers chances at the top seed in the NFC playoffs are dead.
—Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 4 Jan. 2026
Editor Joyce Eng break down the poor box office performance of Sydney Sweeney's Christy, and discuss Tom Cruise's career and potential future Oscar chances ahead of receiving an honorary Oscar at the Governors Awards.
—Gerrad Hall, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Dec. 2025
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
But in his fourth season, an LSU team that began the season ranked in the top 10 is once again nowhere close, and Saturday’s loss effectively ended the Tigers’ College Football Playoff chances.
—Chris Vannini, New York Times, 26 Oct. 2025
Precipitation chances range from 20-50% depending on the day.
—Marina Johnson, Louisville Courier Journal, 24 Oct. 2025
The festival holds a Conservation Village on site for educational and service-based activations like a virtual shark dive, a trash-drop-off site in exchange for potential prizes, and chances to learn about eco-friendly brands.
—Mankaprr Conteh, Rolling Stone, 16 Oct. 2025
Noun
Plenty of videos mentioning the hack say that eating more fiber can have weight loss benefits and boost your chances of having a healthy gut.
—Renée Onque, CNBC, 16 Jan. 2026
Several of the Monarchs’ scoring chances came off sharp cross passes.
—Dan Albano, Oc Register, 16 Jan. 2026
An abundance of discounts await in Pottery Barn’s sale section, but this weekend is one of the only chances to get an additional 20 percent off.
—Rylee Johnston, PEOPLE, 16 Jan. 2026
The National Weather Service in Miami puts rain chances at 70%.
—Miami Herald, 15 Jan. 2026
Forecasters anticipate more chances for snow throughout the week, with possible accumulations east of Interstate 65.
—Caroline Neal, Louisville Courier Journal, 15 Jan. 2026
The chances of doing that without new taxes of some kind are — to put it mildly — almost nil.
—Dan Walters, Mercury News, 15 Jan. 2026
The department demonstrated useful technology to reduce the chances that your car will be stolen.
—Joe Holden, CBS News, 8 Jan. 2026
The Green Bay Packers’ chances of extending their season depend in part on how well Jordan Love can protect the ball against the Chicago Bears.
—Steve Megargee, Chicago Tribune, 8 Jan. 2026
Verb
Precipitation chances for this round range from 25% to 50%.
—Kansas City Star, 8 Jan. 2026
The rain chances in South Florida over the next seven days.
—CBS News, 8 Jan. 2026
The 49ers chances at the top seed in the NFC playoffs are dead.
—Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 4 Jan. 2026
Editor Joyce Eng break down the poor box office performance of Sydney Sweeney's Christy, and discuss Tom Cruise's career and potential future Oscar chances ahead of receiving an honorary Oscar at the Governors Awards.
—Gerrad Hall, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Dec. 2025
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
But in his fourth season, an LSU team that began the season ranked in the top 10 is once again nowhere close, and Saturday’s loss effectively ended the Tigers’ College Football Playoff chances.
—Chris Vannini, New York Times, 26 Oct. 2025
Precipitation chances range from 20-50% depending on the day.
—Marina Johnson, Louisville Courier Journal, 24 Oct. 2025
The festival holds a Conservation Village on site for educational and service-based activations like a virtual shark dive, a trash-drop-off site in exchange for potential prizes, and chances to learn about eco-friendly brands.
—Mankaprr Conteh, Rolling Stone, 16 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chances
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
-
The mission was to show the flag, explore commercial opportunities – including routes to supply gold-mining operations – and display a little firepower.—
Nathan Hodge,
CNN Money,
10 Jan. 2026
-
Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument, Maine Located about a 90-minute drive north of Bangor, this International Dark Sky Sanctuary is the perfect stargazing destination for outdoor lovers, with plenty of hiking, mountain biking, canoeing, and kayaking opportunities for visitors.—
Elizabeth Rhodes,
Travel + Leisure,
10 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The next big storm system is expected to arrive on Saturday night, and the probabilities of impactful snow and accumulation are increasing.—
Madeline Bartos,
CBS News,
11 Dec. 2025
-
These probabilities reflect over $68,000 in trading volume and indicate the market’s strong expectation of a Democratic victory.—
Associate News Editor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
This level of dealmaking far exceeds the bowling alley bets and small-time street gambles that have shaped Marty’s way of moving in the world, and Rockwell represents the kind of ruthless American capitalism and competition that requires humiliation and subjugation.—
Katie Walsh,
Boston Herald,
25 Dec. 2025
-
Duke was 4-for-4 on fourth down in the game, and those successful gambles from Diaz were key to the victory.—
Scott Fowler,
Charlotte Observer,
7 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
This move risks dangerous results from the military and security establishment in the country, as well as the substantial Cuban contingent working in the security sphere.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Both Tong and his counterpart in Rhode Island, Attorney General Peter Neronha, followed up with their own request on Monday which reiterated the developers’ claim that federal intervention risks raising costs for electric customers while upending thousands of local jobs.—
John Moritz,
Hartford Courant,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
This happens when water in front of the tire builds up faster than the vehicle's weight can push water out of the way.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
10 Jan. 2026
-
This communication happens within 10 minutes of the pill being swallowed.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The circumstances made the role ill-suited to Bennett, and everyone knew that Shawn was beset by phobias.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
12 Jan. 2026
-
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
Noun
-
For years, Chevron has been the sole American company with access to Venezuelan oil through joint ventures with the country's state-run producer.—
Cybele Mayes-Osterman,
USA Today,
16 Jan. 2026
-
Jackson has built significant wealth through strategic investments and entrepreneurial ventures.—
Kimberly Wilson,
Essence,
15 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Chances.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chances. Accessed 17 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
