gambled

verb

past tense of gamble
as in bet
to risk (something) on the outcome of an uncertain event a foolish man who gambled his life savings on the lottery

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 gambled Spurs then gambled in January by signing only Conor Gallagher and Souza, now 20, when the team was in dire need of more help. — Jay Harris, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026 Rather than finishing the ambitious project, Rinsch gambled much of the money in the cryptocurrency market before spending millions more on luxury purchases. — Antonio Ferme, Variety, 29 June 2026 Growers tore out the dependable whites that had made their name and gambled, vineyard by vineyard, on a harder, less forgiving grape. — Paul Caputo, Forbes.com, 26 June 2026 Brendan Sorsby gambled on his own team to win a football game. — Trey Wallace Outkick, FOXNews.com, 2 June 2026 The company would have simply gambled on the wrong player. — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 26 May 2026 Suarez wisely gambled on there being another downpour, taking only two tires when the rest of the leaders took four on a late pit stop with about 50 laps to go. — Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 25 May 2026 Even the late Apple cofounder Steve Jobs gambled his own security for success. — Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 11 May 2026 Washington gambled that losing some to inoculation was better than losing a war to the virus. — Katrine L. Wallace, The Conversation, 28 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gambled
  1. bet
  2. put
  3. wagered
  4. played
Verb
  • Just 4% reported playing a fantasy sports game for money, and just 2% reported betting on a prediction market, such as Polymarket or Kalshi.
    — Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 18 Aug. 2026
  • The confidence the organization hoped to see by betting on them has so far produced positive returns.
    — Paul Dehner Jr, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of bet
Verb
  • But others take issue with her premise the exercises are unnecessary, arguing that scaling them back puts US forces –– almost 30,000 of them stationed in South Korea and over 50,000 more in nearby Japan –– in a more dangerous situation.
    — Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Paying it would inevitably put Meta Platforms in bankruptcy and perhaps put the company under state ownership.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of put
Verb
  • The function’s creator, Bernhard Riemann, wagered that the only way to make that output sum to exactly zero is to make the input variable’s real part exactly 1⁄2.
    — Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 12 Aug. 2026
  • But short covering has also contributed to the decline, according to S3, as investors who had wagered against SpaceX bought back stock to exit their positions.
    — Yun Li, CNBC, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of wagered
Verb
  • My model is concentrated on the last 24 rounds played, and includes driving distance, strokes gained off the tee, strokes gained around the green, strokes gained putting, and strokes gained on par 3s longer than 200 yards.
    — Dennis Esser, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026
  • View this post on Instagram Alyson Stoner Alyson Stoner, who also played Kairi in Kingdom Hearts, shared an emotional, heartfelt video mourning the loss of Panettiere.
    — Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of played

Browse Nearby Words

gamble
gambled
gambled (on)
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Cite this Entry

“Gambled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gambled. Accessed 21 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on gambled

Nglish: Translation of gambled for Spanish Speakers

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