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
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
  • Densmore’s a busy guy, with various charitable causes and artistic ventures.
    — Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Or the administration’s personal enrichment through cryptocurrency ventures?
    — Colleen Kujawa, Chicago Tribune, 2 Oct. 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
  • In about nine minutes of time together at 5-on-5, that line held a 12-2 edge in shot attempts over the Ducks, including a 4-0 advantage in shots on goal, 5-2 in scoring chances and 2-0 high-danger chances.
    — Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 5 Oct. 2026
  • El Niño also shifts rainfall patterns globally, raising the chances for destructive flooding in some parts of the world.
    — Lauren Sommer, NPR, 5 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • The average user on both a sportsbook and prediction market loses money, and trying to claw back losses puts users in even deeper financial holes, experts warn.
    — Davis Giangiulio, CNBC, 4 Oct. 2026
  • In Rhode Island, fisherman Chris Brown, who targets species such as fluke and squid out of Point Judith, puts it more bluntly.
    — Patrick Whittle, Fortune, 4 Oct. 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 8 Oct. 2026.

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