GAMBLES Synonyms: 28 Similar and Opposite Words

gambles 1 of 2

noun

plural of gamble

as in ventures

a risky undertaking it's a gamble, but I'm willing to take the risk

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

sure things

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

While the human might try big gambles to come back from a significant deficit, Ataraxos would work its way back into the game slowly and methodically. — Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 1 Oct. 2026 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

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

On the other hand, those servers offer a valuable trove of personal data, ready for lucrative ventures such as AI training and search engine optimization.

— Alan Henry, PC Magazine, 30 Oct. 2026
Last month, the Coast Guard and Customs encountered several migrant ventures, some deadly, off the Dominican Republic and in the treacherous Mona Pass, between Hispaniola and Puerto Rico.

— David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 29 Oct. 2026

Definition of ventures

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

Definition of bets

Noun

Its presence in the environment increases the chances that people will be exposed, and potentially catch it, officials have said.

— Mike Stobbe, Los Angeles Times, 3 Nov. 2026
The plot’s exposure damaged Democrat Mary Peltola, knocking her off-message, and now threatens her party’s chances of winning control of the Senate.

— David Weigel, semafor.com, 2 Nov. 2026

Definition of chances

Verb

In August, after Piker implied that Jews' support for Israel puts them at risk of personal violence, El-Sayed sought to distance himself from the controversy, saying Piker did not speak for the campaign.

— Barbara Sprunt, NPR, 1 Nov. 2026
Mushrooms are an underrated ingredient in Indian cooking, and this creamy masala puts the earthy veg front and center.

— Rachel Gurjar, Bon Appetit Magazine, 1 Nov. 2026

Definition of puts

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

Definition of wagers

Browse Nearby Words

gamblers

gambles

gambles (on)

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“Gambles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gambles. Accessed 4 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of gambles

noun

verb

Example Sentences

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