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
On fourth-and-6 from the Poinciana 48, Gateway Coach Marlin Roberts and gambles on the first play of the fourth quarter. — Buddy Collings, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 Sep. 2026 Hanging over the current roster are the long-term gambles Drury made to bring it together. — Peter Baugh, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026 Congress has a role to play, too, by balancing the censuring of officials whose risks don’t pay off with awards for those who take heroic gambles for the right reasons. — Doug Beck, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2026 But getting to this point required one of the Civil War’s most famous naval gambles. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 18 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 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
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
  • Gibney’s film examines the full scope of Musk’s career, taking a critical look at his stewardship of Tesla, SpaceX and Starlink among other ventures.
    — Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 26 Sep. 2026
  • This appears to have included personal security for Parton, as well as her properties and business ventures.
    — Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 24 Sep. 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
  • Monday in Philadelphia stays cool and unsettled, with the front stalled just south of the region and scattered rain chances, especially across southeastern Pennsylvania, South Jersey and Delaware.
    — Andrew Kozak, CBS News, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Highs are expected in the upper 80s and the rain chances for the week through Sunday hover around the 80% range — especially Wednesday when the weather service puts storm chances at 88%.
    — Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 21 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Based on Douglass Wallop’s novel The Year the Yankees Lost the Pennant, Damn Yankees puts a big league spin on the classic Faustian bargain, following a diehard baseball fan who makes a deal with the Devil to help his beloved team return to glory.
    — Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 27 Sep. 2026
  • That puts engine exhaust close to the booster while the vehicles separate.
    — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 27 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Correspondent Jim Axelrod talks to a gambler who wagers his annual income; and examines how the online betting platforms FanDuel and DraftKings – now the subjects of lawsuits regarding their design – interact with their customers.
    — David Morgan, CBS News, 18 Sep. 2026
  • That is the legal hook that does not exist on SafeBets, where no user ever wagers anything.
    — Boaz Sobrado, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Gambles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gambles. Accessed 29 Sep. 2026.

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