as in chance
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Recent Examples of chancy
Most storms occur in the summer months when the subtropical climate is at its most humid, making August’s Perseid meteor shower a chancier time to visit.
—
Sheeka Sanahori, Outside, 11 Nov. 2025
Lifelong recommendations based on studies of roughly 50 patients and for no longer than three months seem a bit chancy.
—WSJ, 13 Sep. 2018
The early concerts have had a biting, chancy energy.
—New York Times, 21 June 2018
In a curious twist, Gunderson takes the story in an extremely chancy direction during the show’s final minutes.
—David Lyman, Cincinnati.com, 14 Apr. 2018
In the 4500 block of Connecticut Avenue NW, Jeff Lucas watched a driver plow through the brown and turbulent waters in what had momentarily seemed to be a chancy undertaking.
—Martin Weil, Washington Post, 18 Aug. 2017
The point is that reporting on alleged facts that won’t take place for a decade or more in the future is chancy at best.
—Ed Wallace, star-telegram, 14 July 2017
Steve Jobs was making what was at the time an extraordinarily chancy wager.
—Edward C. Baig, USA TODAY, 23 June 2017
George Washington's chancy nighttime retreat from Brooklyn to Manhattan was a kind of Colonial-era Dunkirk.
—Benedict Cosgrove, Smithsonian, 13 Mar. 2017
Sheeka Sanahori, Outside, 11 Nov. 2025
Lifelong recommendations based on studies of roughly 50 patients and for no longer than three months seem a bit chancy.
—WSJ, 13 Sep. 2018
The early concerts have had a biting, chancy energy.
—New York Times, 21 June 2018
In a curious twist, Gunderson takes the story in an extremely chancy direction during the show’s final minutes.
—David Lyman, Cincinnati.com, 14 Apr. 2018
In the 4500 block of Connecticut Avenue NW, Jeff Lucas watched a driver plow through the brown and turbulent waters in what had momentarily seemed to be a chancy undertaking.
—Martin Weil, Washington Post, 18 Aug. 2017
The point is that reporting on alleged facts that won’t take place for a decade or more in the future is chancy at best.
—Ed Wallace, star-telegram, 14 July 2017
Steve Jobs was making what was at the time an extraordinarily chancy wager.
—Edward C. Baig, USA TODAY, 23 June 2017
George Washington's chancy nighttime retreat from Brooklyn to Manhattan was a kind of Colonial-era Dunkirk.
—Benedict Cosgrove, Smithsonian, 13 Mar. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chancy
Adjective
-
The goal was equal parts finesse and fortuitous, with Ramsey’s shot preceded by a gorgeous pass inside from Sandro Tonali and followed by a big deflection off Jarrad Branthwaite.—
George Caulkin,
New York Times,
28 Feb. 2026
-
No favorable whistles or fortuitous misses were necessary this time.—
Mark Zeigler,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
18 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The attorneys, representing Guatemalan children following the government’s unsuccessful attempt to deport dozens of them in a haphazard overnight flight in August, say the policy violates a current injunction in place.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
24 Feb. 2026
-
They're arranged in haphazard rows, with Andrew Jackson occupying a prime front spot simply because the owner likes his hair.—
Danielle Paquette The Washington Post,
Arkansas Online,
17 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The high-value heirlooms underscore that Dunn’s Attic isn’t your typical thrift store of second-hand donations or a rummage sale’s random assortment.—
Colleen McNally Arnett,
Southern Living,
26 Feb. 2026
-
That precious metal market volatility isn't just random noise, though.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
25 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
In early February, a 59-year-old Halethorpe man died after a lighter sparked an accidental house fire, Baltimore County Fire officials said.—
JT Moodee Lockman,
CBS News,
25 Feb. 2026
-
This helps prevent accidental spills or leaks, which can create quite a mess in your luggage.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
25 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
That keeps You Got Older on the shelf, and draws your eye to the ways the play has become an inadvertent period piece.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
25 Feb. 2026
-
Meanwhile, victims have slammed the department for inconsistent or nonexistent redactions that allowed for the inadvertent release of nude photos and other private information about victims.—
Eric Tucker,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
In this case, the NHL ruled that the contact was incidental.—
Matthew Fairburn,
New York Times,
28 Feb. 2026
-
The experts agree that, unless provoked, most of the damage that Godzilla would cause would be incidental.—
Sergio Pereira,
Space.com,
27 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Now the dog track is gone, the beach parking lots are empty and Ice Cream Joe is lucky to get a dozen customers a night.—
Miami Herald Archives,
Miami Herald,
27 Feb. 2026
-
Bright and airy lucky bamboo (Dracaena sanderiana) is a tropical, perennial shrub from West Africa that is part of the asparagus family.—
Molly Burford,
Southern Living,
27 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The firm also estimates that unplanned downtime costs industries roughly $50 billion annually, reinforcing the financial implications of limited system visibility.—
Daniel Fusch,
USA Today,
27 Feb. 2026
-
For a 50,000-unit order, that is up to €700,000 in unplanned cost.—
Muchaneta ten Napel,
Sourcing Journal,
27 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Chancy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chancy. Accessed 5 Mar. 2026.
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