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
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Recent Examples of chances
Abdul Rehman, New York Times, 7 May 2026
That does increase the chances of an injury, something the Bulldogs had to deal with yet again this spring.
—Connor Riley, AJC.com, 7 May 2026
Leading the Future, the tech right’s super PAC, didn’t want to take any chances.
—Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 7 May 2026
Seeing a doctor right away ups your chances of a fast recovery.
—Petra Guglielmetti, Glamour, 7 May 2026
Those officials — Fed presidents Beth Hammack of Cleveland, Lorie Logan of Dallas and Neel Kashkari of Minneapolis — said in statements detailing their dissents that the Fed is not being forthcoming about the growing chances of a rate hike.
—Bryan Mena, CNN Money, 7 May 2026
Houston rain chances are lower Thursday, but a slow-moving storm system could bring a risk of heavy downpours later this weekend.
—Newsroom Meteorologist, Houston Chronicle, 7 May 2026
Above all, the Ducks used their remarkable speed to defend their end of the ice as well as to explore offensive chances at the other end.
—Elliott Teaford, Oc Register, 7 May 2026
Ranked-choice voting would increase the chances of electing people whom voters are for, rather than the lesser of two evils.
—Lucas Robinson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2026
Ron Smiley, CBS News, 8 May 2026
The cloudy skies will gradually turn just partly cloudy, as rain chances ease to 70%.
—Roberto Villalpando, Houston Chronicle, 1 May 2026
Given his Game 1 heroics, having him out there might have made the Sabres’ slim comeback chances slightly better.
—Fluto Shinzawa, New York Times, 22 Apr. 2026
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
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
Noun
Spurs need points and Richarlison is the No 9 who will likely be on the end of most of their chances.
—Abdul Rehman, New York Times, 7 May 2026
That does increase the chances of an injury, something the Bulldogs had to deal with yet again this spring.
—Connor Riley, AJC.com, 7 May 2026
Leading the Future, the tech right’s super PAC, didn’t want to take any chances.
—Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 7 May 2026
Seeing a doctor right away ups your chances of a fast recovery.
—Petra Guglielmetti, Glamour, 7 May 2026
Those officials — Fed presidents Beth Hammack of Cleveland, Lorie Logan of Dallas and Neel Kashkari of Minneapolis — said in statements detailing their dissents that the Fed is not being forthcoming about the growing chances of a rate hike.
—Bryan Mena, CNN Money, 7 May 2026
Houston rain chances are lower Thursday, but a slow-moving storm system could bring a risk of heavy downpours later this weekend.
—Newsroom Meteorologist, Houston Chronicle, 7 May 2026
Above all, the Ducks used their remarkable speed to defend their end of the ice as well as to explore offensive chances at the other end.
—Elliott Teaford, Oc Register, 7 May 2026
Ranked-choice voting would increase the chances of electing people whom voters are for, rather than the lesser of two evils.
—Lucas Robinson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2026
Verb
Rain chances for the weekend have adjusted.
—Ron Smiley, CBS News, 8 May 2026
The cloudy skies will gradually turn just partly cloudy, as rain chances ease to 70%.
—Roberto Villalpando, Houston Chronicle, 1 May 2026
Given his Game 1 heroics, having him out there might have made the Sabres’ slim comeback chances slightly better.
—Fluto Shinzawa, New York Times, 22 Apr. 2026
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chances
Noun
-
This was another fates-or-hobgoblins turn of events, but many Americans took that profound luck as their rightful due.—
Daniel Immerwahr,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
-
In a heartbreaking 2-1 loss, the Lightning outplayed the Canadiens in every way except puck luck.—
Eduardo A. Encina,
The Orlando Sentinel,
4 May 2026
Noun
-
Creating more majority-Republican districts but with thinner margins could dilute GOP advantages and give Democrats more opportunities to win seats, especially if there’s an anti-Trump backlash at the polls this year.—
Bill Barrow,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Apr. 2026
-
There’s that, plus the hundreds of thousands of stellar restaurants, outstanding shopping opportunities, and zany offbeat attractions that make the Japanese capital a wildly entertaining—and impeccably safe—destination for travelers of all kinds.—
Condé Nast Traveler,
Condé Nast Traveler,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Both teams had playoff probabilities exceeding 85% just a few weeks ago.—
Ian Miller OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
27 Apr. 2026
-
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,
17 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
No fiction writer could dream up a character with so many high-stakes gambles that usually paid off, whose life took so many turns and who was present at so many key late-20th-century moments in various fields.—
Tim Gray,
Variety,
6 May 2026
-
Those gambles never lead to moral wins for the nation, or big wins or jackpots for the poor Black communities that most of our most prodigious athletic artists come from.—
Kiese Laymon,
Vanity Fair,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Should progressives prevail, the state risks an exodus that could erode its tax base, slow innovation, and undermine the very programs the policy aims to support.—
Douglas Schoen,
Oc Register,
4 May 2026
-
That approach risks overreach and unintended consequences — especially for small businesses, working families and local economies already under pressure.—
Steve Scauzillo,
Daily News,
4 May 2026
Verb
-
All the statute requires is that DHS solicit and receive other agencies' views; Congress left the Executive Branch to resolve how that process happens and how much detail other agencies provide.—
Melissa Quinn,
CBS News,
28 Apr. 2026
-
And when that happens, voters are left to question whether the outcome of an election reflects their voice or the lines that were drawn around it.—
Dan Daley,
The Orlando Sentinel,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
What is more likely is that, fifty years hence, Americans will observe that this anniversary took place during a polarizing time, but that such circumstances were not unprecedented.—
Jelani Cobb,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
-
Under those circumstances, the WNBA outgrew an arena and a women’s basketball market that once helped to save the league.—
Dom Amore,
Hartford Courant,
3 May 2026
Noun
-
Companies and scientific ventures voluntarily comply with biosecurity guidelines and submit environmental impact assessments for Antarctic operations.—
Sam McNeil,
Los Angeles Times,
7 May 2026
-
As Team Maryland’s revenue and expenses doubled from 2018 to 2024, the share of that money that flowed directly to Blackstreet’s and the Weisses’ for-profit ventures ballooned, tax returns analyzed by USA TODAY show.—
Kenny Jacoby,
USA Today,
7 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Chances.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chances. Accessed 9 May. 2026.
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