chances 1 of 2

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

chances

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of chance

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
Noun
His excellent size-speed combination, and aggressive downhill style creates disruption and turnover chances. Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Apr. 2026 While temperatures have been and will continue to trend warmer than average for the remainder of the month, there will still be a couple of cold mornings and even some snow chances. Ron Smiley, CBS News, 17 Apr. 2026 Dorothy Chester of Cedar Grove decided to take her chances with a new lottery strategy while playing the Cash 5 game earlier this month, according to a news release from the North Carolina Education Lottery. Paloma Chavez, PEOPLE, 16 Apr. 2026 After three uncompetitive losses, the chances of that promise holding true were bleak. Kalen Lumpkins, Chicago Tribune, 16 Apr. 2026 What’s more, the warm ocean waters could increase the chances of hurricanes and tropical storms forming off the coast of Mexico. Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2026 With the housing bill, for example, 18 House Democrats voted against the legislation, blocking any chances for a veto override. Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 16 Apr. 2026 April and May windows are great chances to beat the summer crowds and take advantage of short lines at the most popular rides. John Wenzel, Denver Post, 16 Apr. 2026 And as the Magic improve, so do their chances at reaching the playoffs. Jason Beede, The Orlando Sentinel, 9 Apr. 2026
Verb
Early Apollo probabilistic assessments put loss-of-crew (LOC) chances around 1 in 10 for lunar missions. Chris Young, Interesting Engineering, 15 Apr. 2026 While rain chances linger and skies may stay mostly cloudy, temperatures will rebound into the mid-70s. Kansas City Star, 10 Apr. 2026 The controversy may have negatively impacted Best Actor Oscar chances for his performance in Josh Safdie’s solo directing effort, Marty Supreme. Chris Lee, Vulture, 2 Apr. 2026 Rain chances trend even higher through the first half of the upcoming workweek. Shane Hinton, CBS News, 2 Apr. 2026 Critics are no longer holding back, openly questioning how many chances Woods should get, and whether golf’s governing bodies have been too lenient for too long. Rowan Fisher-Shotton, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026 By Wednesday, rain chances increase to about 70%, with a high near 65 and a low around 48. Hector Amezcua, Sacbee.com, 30 Mar. 2026 Rain chances return by midweek, beginning late Tuesday. Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Mar. 2026 Rain chances in the Miami area are 20% Friday and Saturday, building to 30% Saturday night. Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 26 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chances
Noun
  • And if the basketball gods were just, the Warriors would be provided a play-in loss — Wednesday or Friday, either will do — and lottery luck.
    Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 13 Apr. 2026
  • Rory McIlroy faded his tee shot into the pine straw, forcing a dramatic finish for his second consecutive Masters title, a final round that saw the Northern Irish golfer press his luck on the final few holes.
    Benjamin Royer, Oc Register, 13 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • The city also offers a variety of career opportunities within a range of industries, including aerospace engineering, energy and health care.
    Sophie Caldwell, CNBC, 14 Apr. 2026
  • After the discovery, LAHSA notified VOA that people must receive opportunities to correct bothersome but non-threatening behavior.
    Andrew Khouri, Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • But while the civil court found the war crimes allegations were mostly proven on a balance of probabilities, the war crime murder charges would have to be proved in a criminal court to a higher standard of beyond reasonable doubt.
    ABC News, ABC News, 8 Apr. 2026
  • The Pirates scored two runs against Nick Pivetta in the fifth inning on three groundball hits that had hit probabilities of 22%, 10% and 21%.
    Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Pagliocca has mostly struck out in a series of high-risk, high-reward gambles.
    Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 7 Apr. 2026
  • She’s seen what the medium is still capable of, with the success of wild gambles like Everything Everywhere.
    David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 11 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • China in the crosshairs The blockade also risks drawing the world's second-largest economy into the confrontation.
    Anniek Bao, CNBC, 13 Apr. 2026
  • What callers may believe to be a 'joke' actually risks the public safety of our communities and can carry lifelong consequences for those responsible.
    Elle Meyers, CBS News, 13 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • What happens next Authorities emphasize that the charges are allegations, and Mance is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
    Zachary Bynum, CBS News, 14 Apr. 2026
  • What happens when that falls apart?
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 14 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • There was no immediately available information on the suspect or a motive in the shooting and detectives said that the circumstances leading up to the incident remain under investigation.
    Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 13 Apr. 2026
  • Given those circumstances, what is, realistically, the best-case scenario for the Warriors once the play-in begins?
    Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 12 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Garth will add a home decor collection to her repertoire in July, in addition to her podcast and live event ventures with iHeartMedia.
    Ralphie Aversa, USA Today, 16 Apr. 2026
  • The billionaire’s other ventures acquired another 60 vehicles during those months.
    Bloomberg, Mercury News, 16 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Chances.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chances. Accessed 19 Apr. 2026.

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