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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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
  • Kim points to a conglomerate in India, broadcaster joint ventures in Thailand, mining companies in Mongolia and a beverage brand in China, all of which are backing films.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 10 Oct. 2026
  • But hey, isn’t that what new business ventures are supposed to do in Silicon Valley?
    — Noel Murray, Vulture, 9 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
  • The Commanders inexplicably ran the clock out on themselves in field-goal range and had to settle for a tie against the Giants, who wasted two chances to win in overtime.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 12 Oct. 2026
  • California voters have up to three chances to fix a mistake on their ballot, including by exchanging it at the county elections office or indicating the correction directly on the original ballot without initialing it.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 12 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • But even that sentiment puts him at odds with Scott, one of his most loyal supporters who, for eight years, held the job that Donalds seeks.
    — Liv Caputo, Miami Herald, 10 Oct. 2026
  • That puts the onus on buyers and sellers to perform their own due diligence.
    — Bob Woods, CNBC, 10 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

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

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!