gambles 1 of 2

plural of gamble
as in ventures
a risky undertaking it's a gamble, but I'm willing to take the risk

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gambles

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of gamble
as in bets
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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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 gambles
Noun
All these missions are complex, high-cost gambles for China that would consume large quantities of military assets and result in immense casualties and property damage. Eugene Gholz, Foreign Affairs, 4 Aug. 2026 The fifth-year pro is 100 percent aggressive, 100 percent of the time, taking wild gambles that result in either pick-sixes or soul-crushing defensive breakdowns. Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 28 July 2026 Both are good gambles for that 11-20 round range, when failing to sign a player doesn’t affect your bonus pool. Keith Law, New York Times, 15 July 2026 LaMelo Ball is teaming up with Anthony Edwards after one of Tim Connelly’s boldest gambles yet. Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 26 June 2026 Drawing on generations of Chinatown family lore and silences, See turns China City’s vanished streets and her ancestors’ immigrant gambles into a historical fiction layered with stories of survival and belonging. Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2026 The alien invasion adventure opens on June 12 and, with its $115 million budget, represents one of summer’s biggest gambles — a twisty conspiracy thriller that doesn’t come wrapped in familiar IP. Brent Lang, Variety, 9 June 2026 For the first four games, the extensive gambles taken by the front office — not just this season but for years — seemed to be paying off in a surprising 3-1 road trip. Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 2 June 2026 Most of his big gambles, on things such as the MGM studio and library, which led to the creation of the Turner Classic Movies channel, paid off handsomely. Michael J. Socolow, The Conversation, 7 May 2026
Verb
Instead of maintaining steady, ongoing engagement that builds a real relationship, the enterprise gambles its primary resources on a single event. Stefano Marrone, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026 As Macron heads toward the end of his time in office — his final term ends next year — the Louvre overhaul has become his signature cultural project — his version of the big museum-and-monument gambles French presidents are often remembered for. ABC News, 25 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gambles
Noun
  • Public and political interests and opinions can shift quickly, which Fleming says could impact whether other companies make future ventures into psychedelics.
    Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Instead, countries should embrace policies that incentivize formal remittances and shift their focus from providing safety nets for vulnerable families and personal properties to productive ventures and investments.
    Eghosa E. Osaghae, Foreign Affairs, 11 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • But that’s a problem in Bordeaux, a region that bets big on red wines aged in oak.
    Kate Dingwall, Bon Appetit Magazine, 31 July 2026
  • Told ‘no’ at every turn, Sylvester Stallone bets everything on himself, holding the line on playing the lead against seemingly impossible odds.
    Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 15 July 2026
Noun
  • Its volatile stock closely tracks investors’ perceived chances of cashing in on the GLP-1 boom.
    Joseph Wilkins,Lee Ying Shan,Yun Li, CNBC, 10 Aug. 2026
  • The running text would distract from interviews of newsmakers, for example, but executives do see more chances to use it.
    Brian Steinberg, Variety, 10 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Quote of note Veteran center Garrett Bradbury has enjoyed his introduction to Ben Johnson’s offense, a system that puts a lot of responsibility on the guy snapping the ball.
    Dan Wiederer, New York Times, 12 Aug. 2026
  • As Stevie Wonder’s eponymous 1972 hit suggests, there’s something specifically ominous about a 13-month-old baby that puts it in league with the bad juju of falling ladders and broken looking glasses.
    Kat Chen, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Gambles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gambles. Accessed 14 Aug. 2026.

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