as in bet
to risk (something) on the outcome of an uncertain event
a foolish man who gambled his life savings on the lottery
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Recent Examples of gambled
Chelsea gambled on Ruud Gullit and Gianluca Vialli, who were simply senior players at that point.
—
Michael Cox, New York Times, 8 Jan. 2026
Nearly seven years ago, Craig Thran gambled $2,000 on hemp.
—Gina Lee Castro, jsonline.com, 20 Nov. 2025
Then the man who came with the satchel would depart, often without having gambled.
—Rob Kuznia, CNN Money, 18 Nov. 2025
Landing a full-time position is a dream come true for many NPS lifers—and not something to be gambled with.
—Frederick Dreier, Outside, 23 Oct. 2025
Gambling is a popular tradition because of the belief whoever gambled on Diwali night would prosper throughout the year.
—Deepa Bharath, Twin Cities, 20 Oct. 2025
Anyone who gambled with that blood for the sake of symbolic triumph would have been accountable for the cost.
—Mohammed R. Mhawish, New Yorker, 14 Oct. 2025
Prestonwood Christian gambled on fourth-and-one from its own 46 when Witten made a shoestring tackle from behind for no gain on Lions quarterback Luke Glass, who had a lot of open field in front of him.
—Mike Waters, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 Oct. 2025
The costume designer’s work has always gambled with class systems and history.
—Hikmat Mohammed, Footwear News, 26 Sep. 2025
Michael Cox, New York Times, 8 Jan. 2026
Nearly seven years ago, Craig Thran gambled $2,000 on hemp.
—Gina Lee Castro, jsonline.com, 20 Nov. 2025
Then the man who came with the satchel would depart, often without having gambled.
—Rob Kuznia, CNN Money, 18 Nov. 2025
Landing a full-time position is a dream come true for many NPS lifers—and not something to be gambled with.
—Frederick Dreier, Outside, 23 Oct. 2025
Gambling is a popular tradition because of the belief whoever gambled on Diwali night would prosper throughout the year.
—Deepa Bharath, Twin Cities, 20 Oct. 2025
Anyone who gambled with that blood for the sake of symbolic triumph would have been accountable for the cost.
—Mohammed R. Mhawish, New Yorker, 14 Oct. 2025
Prestonwood Christian gambled on fourth-and-one from its own 46 when Witten made a shoestring tackle from behind for no gain on Lions quarterback Luke Glass, who had a lot of open field in front of him.
—Mike Waters, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 Oct. 2025
The costume designer’s work has always gambled with class systems and history.
—Hikmat Mohammed, Footwear News, 26 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gambled
Verb
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To the critics, LaFleur is 2-3 in the playoffs as a betting favorite, tied for the worst win rate among 19 coaches with at least five such games this century.—
Mike Sando,
New York Times,
12 Jan. 2026
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This time, a more emboldened administration appears to be betting that both fear and a show of force will be enough to quell a movement that has become fragmented and disillusioned through the years.—
Paola Ramos,
Time,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Rieder’s comments put him within the then-consensus among economists and even Fed officials who believed inflation would not become a persistent problem.—
Matt Egan,
CNN Money,
30 Jan. 2026
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Collections and designers put their best foot forward, delivering high-caliber collections — some were uplifting, others were thought-provoking, most were both.—
Laure Guilbault,
Vogue,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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McCormack also wagered on a second game in March 2023 that’s not included in his guilty plea, according to prosecutors.—
John Annese,
New York Daily News,
21 Jan. 2026
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The group of bettors, according to federal prosecutors, wagered as much as $458,000 on a single college basketball game — a February 2024 game between North Carolina A&T and Towson that only 2,953 attended.—
Brendan Marks,
New York Times,
16 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Goldin originally conceived of it as a slideshow timed to songs by The Velvet Underground and Dionne Warwick, played in nightclubs around New York, and eventually, in the Whitney Biennial in 1985.—
Jacqui Palumbo,
CNN Money,
25 Jan. 2026
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The 33-year old native of the Dominican Republic has played his entire 13-year, big league career in Cleveland.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
25 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Gambled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gambled. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.
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