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
  • While the era’s bust eventually brought most of those ventures to an end, Brown said the experience taught him not to let the fear of failure—or looking foolish—get in the way.
    Preston Fore, Fortune, 20 Sep. 2026
  • The former Cuban athlete acknowledges the importance of social media to the success of her ventures.
    Maykel Gonzalez, Miami Herald, 19 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
  • The exit poll from Germany’s public broadcaster puts the AfD on 38%, just two weeks after the party had its best result yet in Saxony-Anhalt.
    Sebastian Shukla, CNN Money, 20 Sep. 2026
  • However, going down to 0-2 puts a team at a really big hole to start the year and make the playoffs.
    David Troy OutKick, FOXNews.com, 20 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 23 Sep. 2026.

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